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LIBRARY 


Stom  l£riciiltiii^l_CBllep. 

Vol .  3Sl'?.  % 

Class  j/^.  81.3;  8 


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XE 


O  0   o   (^ 


3    ^153    00110SS5 


MONSIEUR    GOULDEN. 


NATIONAL  NOVELS 


WATERLOO 


A  SEQUEL  TO 


The  Conscript  of   1813 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  FRENCH  OF 


ERCKMANN-CHATRIAN 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW   YORK 
CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 

1895 


Copyright,  1869,  by 
CHARLES   SCRIBNER  &   CO. 


Copyright,  1889,  by 
CHARLES   SCRIBNER'S    SONS 


TROWS 

PRINTING  AND   BOOKBINDING  COMPANY, 

NEW  YORK. 


INTKODUCTOEY  NOTE, 


Often  as  the  campaign  of  Waterloo  has  been 
described  by  historians  and  frequently  as  it  has 
been  celebrated  in  fiction  it  has  rarely  been  nar- 
rated from  the  standpoint  of  a  private  soldier 
participating  in  it  and  telling  only  what  he  saw. 
That  this  limitation,  however,  does  not  exclude 
events  of  the  greatest  importance  and  incidents  of 
the  most  intensely  dramatic  interest  is  abundantly 
proved  by  the  narrative  of  the  Conscript  who 
makes  another  campaign  in  this  volume  and  de- 
scribes it  with  his  customary  painstaking  fulness 
and  fidelity.  But  what  renders  "Waterloo"  still 
more  interesting  is  the  picture  it  presents  of  the 
state  of  affairs  after  the  first  Bourbon  restoration, 
and  its  description  of  how  gradually  but  surely  the 
way  was  prepared  by  the  stupidity  of  the  new 
regime  for  that  return  to  power  of  Napoleon  whicb 
seems  so  dramatically  sudden  and  unexpected  to 
a  superficial  view  of  the  events  of  the  time.  In 
this  respect  "Waterloo"  deserves  to  rank  very 
high  as  a  chapter  of  familiar  history,  or  at  least 
of  historical  commentary. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

LYRASIS  members  and  Sloan  Foundation 


http://archive.org/details/waterloosequelto1895erck 


WATERLOO: 

A  SEQUEL  TO  THE  CONSCRIPT  OF  1813 

I. 

The  joy  of  the  people  on  the  return  of  Louis 
XYIII.,  in  1814,  was  unbounded.  It  was  in  the 
spring,  and  the  hedges,  gardens,  and  orchards  were 
in  full  bloom.  The  people  had  for  years  suffered  so 
much  misery,  and  had  so  many  times  feared  being 
carried  off  by  the  conscription  never  to  return,  they 
were  so  weary  of  battles,  of  the  captured  cannon,  of 
all  the  glory  and  the  Te  Deums,  that  they  wished 
for  nothing  but  to  live  in  peace  and  quiet  and  to  rear 
their  families  by  honest  labor. 

Indeed,  everybody  was  content  except  the  old  sol- 
diers and  the  fencing-masters. 

I  well  remember  how,  when  on  the  3d  of  May  the 
order  came  to  raise  the  white  flag  on  the  church,  the 
whole  town  trembled  for  fear  of  the  soldiers  of  the 
garrison,  and  Nicholas  Passauf,  the  slater,  demand- 


i* 


10  WATERLOO. 

ed  six  louis  for  the  bold  feat.  He  was  plainly  to  be 
seen  from  every  street  with  the  white  silk  flag  with 
its  "fleur-de-lis,"  and  the  soldiers  were  shooting  at 
him  from  every  window  of  the  two  barracks,  but 
Passauf  raised  his  flag  in  spite  of  them  and  came 
down  and  hid  himself  in  the  barn  of  the  "  Trois  Mai- 
sons,"  while  the  marines  were  searching  the  town  for 
him  to  kill  him. 

That  was  their  feeling,  but  the  laborers  and  the 
peasants  and  the  trades-people  with  one  voice  hailed 
the  return  of  peace  and  cried, "  Down  with  the  con- 
scription and  the  right  of  union."  Everybody  was 
tired  of  livinsr  like  a  bird  on  branch  and  of  risking 
their  lives  for  matters  which  did  not  concern  them. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  joy  nobody  was  so  happy 
as  I ;  the  others  had  not  had  the  good  luck  to  escape 
unharmed  from  the  terrible  battles  of  Weissenfels  and 
Lutzen  and  Leipzig,  and  from  the  horrible  typhus. 
I  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  glory  and  that  gave 
me  a  still  greater  love  for  peace  and  horror  of  con- 
scription. 

I  had  come  back  to  Father  Goulden's,  and  I  shall 
never  in  my  life  forget  his  hearty  welcome,  or  his 
exclamation  as  he  took  me  in  his  arms  :  "  It  is  Joseph  ! 
Ah !  my  dear  child,  I  thought  you  were  lost !"  and 
we  mingled  our  tears  and  our  embraces  together.  And 


WA1ERL00.  11 

then  we  lived  together  again  like  two  friends.  He 
would  make  me  go  over  our  battles  again  and  again, 
and  laughingly  call  me  "  the  old  soldier."  Then  he 
would  tell  me  of  the  siege  of  Pfalzbourg,  how  the  ene- 
my arrived  before  the  town  in  January,  and  how  the 
old  republicans  with  a  few  hundred  gunners  were  sent 
to  mount  our  cannon  on  the  ramparts,  how  they  were 
obliged  to  eat  horseflesh  on  account  of  the  famine, 
and  to  break  up  the  iron  utensils  of  the  citizens  to 
make  case-shot  and  canister. 

Father  Goulden,  in  spite  of  his  threescore  years, 
had  aimed  the  pieces  on  the  Magazine  bastion  on  the 
Bichelberg  side,  and  I  often  imagined  I  could  see  him 
with  his  black  silk  cap  and  spectacles  on,  in  the  act 
ot  aiming  a  twenty-four  pounder.  Then  this  would 
make  us  both  laugh  and  helped  to  pass  away  the 
time. 

We  had  resumed  all  onr  old  habits.  I  laid  the 
table  and  made  the  soup.  I  was  occupying  my  little 
chamber  again  and  dreamed  of  Catherine  day  and 
night.  But  now,  instead  of  being  afraid  of  the  con- 
scription as  I  was  in  1813, 1  had  something  else  to 
^rouble  me.  Man  is  never  quite  happy,  some  petty 
misery  or  other  assails  him.  How  often  do  we  see 
this  in  life  ?    My  peace  was  disturbed  by  this. 

You  know  I  was  to  marry  Catherine ;  we   were 


12  WATERLOO. 

agreed,  and  Aunt  Gredel  desired  nothing  better 
Unhappily,  however,  the  conscripts  ;f  1815  were  dis- 
banded, while  those  of  1813  still  remained  soldiers. 
It  was  no  longer  so  dangerous  to  be  a  soldier  as  it  was 
under  the  Empire,  and  many  of  these  had  returned 
to  their  homes  and  were  living  quietly,  but  that  did 
not  prevent  the  necessity  of  my  having  a  permit  in 
order  to  be  married.  Mr.  Jour  dan,  the  new  mayor, 
would  never  allow  me  to  register  without  this  per- 
mission, and  this  made  me  anxious. 

Father  Goulden,  as  soon  as  the  city  gates  were 
opened,  had  written  to  the  minister  of  war,  Dupont, 
that  I  was  at  Pfalzbourg  and  still  unwell,  that  I  had 
limped  from  my  birth,  and  that  I  had  in  spite  of  this 
been  pressed  into  the  service,  that  I  was  a  poor  sol- 
dier, but  that  I  could  make  a  good  father  of  a  family, 
that  it  would  be  a  real  crime  to  prevent  me  from 
marrying,  that  I  was  ill-formed  and  weak  and  should 
be  obliged  to  go  into  the  hospital,  etc. 

It  was  a  beautiful  letter,  and  it  told  the  truth  too. 
The  very  idea  of  going  away  again  made  me  ill.  So 
we  waited  from  day  to  day — Aunt  Gredel,  Father 
Goulden,  Catherine,  and  I,  for  the  answer  from  the 
ministei. 

I  can  not  describe  the  impatience  I  felt  when  the 
postman  Brainstem,  the  son  of  the  bell-ringer,  came 


WATERLOO.  13 

into  the  street.  I  could  hear  him  half  a  mile  away, 
and  then  I  could  not  go  on  with  my  work,  but  must 
lean  out  of  the  window  and  watch  him  as  he  went 
from  house  to  house.  When  he  would  stay  a  little  too 
long,  I  would  say  to  myself,  "  What  can  he  have  to 
talk  about  so  long  ?  why  don't  he  leave  his  letters 
and  come  away  ?  he  is  a  regular  tattler,  that  Brain- 
stein  !"  I  was  ready  to  pounce  upon  him.  Sometimes 
I  ran  down  to  meet  him,  and  would  ask,  "  Have  you 
nothing  for  me."  "  No,  Mr.  Joseph,"  he  would  reply 
as  he  looked  over  his  letters.  Then  I  would  go  sadly 
back,  and  Father  Goulden,  who  had  been  looking  on, 
would  say ; 

"  Have  a  little  patience,  child  !  have  patience,  it 
will  come.     It  is  not  war  time  now." 

"  But  he  has  had  time  to  answer  a  dozen  times, 
Mr.  Goulden." 

"  Do  you  think  he  has  nobody's  affairs  to  attend 
to  but  yours  ?  He  receives  hundreds  of  such  letters 
every  day — and  each  one  receives  his  ans^  er  in  his 
turn.  And  then  every  thing  is  in  confusion  from  top 
to  bottom.  Come,  come  !  we  are  not  alone  in  the 
world — many  other  brave  fellows  are  waiting  for  their 
permits  to  be  married." 

I  knew  he  was  right,  but  I  said  to  myself,  "  If 
that  minister  only  knew  how  happy  he  would  make 


14:  WATERLOO. 

us  by  just  writing  ten  words,  I  am  sure  he  would  do 
it  at  once.  How  we  would  bless  him,  Catherine 
and  I,  Aunt  Gredel  and  all  of  us."  But  wait  we 
must. 

Of  course  I  had  resumed  my  old  habit  of  going  to 
Quatre  Vents  on  Sundays.  On  these  mornings  I  was 
always  awake  early — I  do  not  know  what  roused 
me.  At  first  I  thought  I  was  a  soldier  again ;  this 
made  me  shiver.  Then  I  would  open  my  eyes,  look 
at  the  ceiling,  and  think,  "  Why  you  are  at  home 
with  Father  Goulden,  at  Pfalzbourg,  in  your  own  lit- 
tle room.  To-day  is  Sunday,  and  you  are  going  to  see 
Catherine."  By  this  time  I  was  wide  awake,  and 
could  see  Catherine  with  her  blooming  cheeks  and 
blue  eyes.  I  wanted  to  get  up  at  once  and  dress 
myself  and  set  off.  But  the  clocks  had  just  struck 
four,  and  the  city  gates  were  still  shut.  I  was 
obliged  to  wait,  and  this  annoyed  me  very  much. 
In  order  to  keep  patience  I  began  to  recall  our  court- 
ship, remembering  the  first  days,  how  we  feared  the 
conscription  and  the  drawing  of  the  unlucky  num 
ber,  with  its  "  fit  for  service ; "  the  old  guard  Werner, 
at  the  Mayor's,  the  leave-taking,  the  journey  to 
Mayence,  and  the  broad  Capougnerstrasse  where  the 
good  woman  gave  me  a  foot-bath,  Frankfort  and 
Evfurth  farther  on,  where  I  received  my  first  letter 


WATERLOO.  15 

two  days  before  the  battle,  the  Russians,  the  Prus 
sians — every  thing  in  fact — and  then  I  would  weep, 
but  the  thought  of  Catherine  was  always  uppermost. 

When  the  clock  struck  five  I  jumped  from  my  bed, 
washed  and  shaved  and  dressed  myself,  then  Father 
Goulden,  still  behind  his  big  curtains,  would  put  out 
his  nose  and  say  : 

"  I  hear  you !  I  hear  you !  You  have  been  rolling 
and  tumbling  for  the  last  half  hour.  Ha !  ha !  it  is 
Sunday  to-day." 

He  would  laugh  at  his  own  wit,  and  I  laughed  with 
him,  and  would  then  bid  him  good  morning  and  be 
down  the  stairs  at  a  bound. 

Very  few  people  were  stirring,  but  Sepel  the 
butcher  would  always  call  out :  "  Come  here,  Joseph, 
I  have  something  to  tell  you."  But  I  only  just 
turned  my  head,  and  ten  minutes  after  was  on  the 
high  road  to  Quatre  Yents,  outside  the  city  walls. 
Oh  !  how  fine  the  weather  was  that  beautiful  year ! 
I  Tow  green  and  flourishing  every  thing  looked,  and 
how  busy  the  people  were,  trying  to  make  up  for  lost 
time,  planting  and  watering  their  cabbages  and  tur- 
nips, and  digging  over  the  ground  trodden  down  by 
the  cavalry ;  how  confident  everybody  was  too  of  the 
goodness  of  God,  who,  they  hoped,  would  send  the 
sun  and  the  rain  which  they  so  much  needed.     All 


1G  WATERLOO. 

along  the  road,  in  the  little  gardens,  women  and  old 
men,  everybody,  were  at  work,  digging,  planting,  and 
watering. 

"Work  away,  Father  Thiebeau,  and  you  too, 
Mother  Furst.     Courage !"  cried  I. 

"  Yes,  yes,  Mr.  Joseph,  there  is  need  enough  for 
that ;  this  blockade  has  put  every  thing  back,  there 
is  no  time  to  lose." 

The  roads  were  filled  with  carts  and  wagons,  laden 
with  brick  and  lumber  and  materials  for  repairing 
the  houses  and  roofs  which  had  been  destroyed  by 
the  howitzers.  How  the  whips  cracked  and  the 
hammers  rang  in  all  the  country  round !  On  every 
side  carpenters  and  masons  were  seen  busily  at  work 
on  the  summer  houses.  Father  Ulrich  and  his  three 
boys  were  already  on  the  roof  of  the  "  Flower  Bas- 
ket," which  had  been  broken  to  pieces  by  the  balls, 
strengthening  the  new  timbers,  whistling  and  ham- 
mering in  concert.  What  a  busy  time  it  was,  in- 
deed, when  peace  returned  !  They  wanted  no  more 
war  then.  They  knew  the  worth  of  tranquillity,  and 
only  asked  to  repair  their  losses  as  far  as  possible 
They  knew  that  a  stroke  of  a  saw  or  a  plane  wa 
of  more  value  than  a  cannon-shot,  and  how  many 
tears  and  how  much  fatigue  it  would  cost  to  rebuild 
even  in  ten  years,  that  which  the  bombs   had  de 


WATERLOO.  17 

stroyed  in  ten  minutes.  Oh  !  how  happy  I  was  as  1 
went  along.  No  more  marches  and  counter-marches ; 
I  did  not  need  the  countersign  from  Sergeant  Pinto 
where  I  was  going  !  And  how  sweetly  the  lark  sang 
as  it  soared  tremblingly  upward,  and  the  quails 
whistled  and  linnets  twittered.  The  sweet  freshness 
of  the  morning,  the  fragrant  eglantine  in  the  hedges, 
urged  me  on  till  I  caught  sight  of  the  gable  of  the  old 
roof  of  Quatre  Yents,  and  the  little  chimney  with  its 
wreath  of  smoke.  "5Tis  Catherine  who  made  the 
fire,"  I  thought,  "  and  she  is  preparing  our  coffee." 
Then  I  would  moderate  my  steps  in  order  to  get  my 
breath  a  little,  while  I  scanned  the  little  windows 
and  laughed  with  anticipated  pleasure.  The  door 
opens,  and  Mother  Gredel,  with  her  woolen  petticoat 
and  a  big  broom  in  her  hand,  turns  round  and  ex- 
claims :  "  Here  he  is !  here  he  is !"  Then  Catherine 
runs  up,  always  more  and  more  beautiful,  with  her 
little  blue  cap,  and  says :  "  Ah !  that  is  good ;  I  was 
expecting  thee !"  How  happy  she  is,  and  how  I  em- 
n-ace  her  !    Ah  !  to  be  young !     I  see  it  all  again ! 

I  go  into  the  old  room  with  Catherine,  and  Aunt 
Gredel  flourishes  her  broom  and  exclaims  eneroreti- 
cally :  "No  more  conscription — that  is  done  with  !" 
We  laugh  heartily  and  sit  down,  and  while  Cathe-  ' 
rine  looks  at  me,  aunt  commences  again : 


18  WATERLOO. 

"  That  beggar  of  a  minister,  has  he  not  written 
yet  ?  Will  he  never  write,  I  wondei  ?  Does  he 
take  us  for  brutes  ?  It  is  very  disagreeable  always 
to  be  ordered  about.  Thou  art  no  longer  a  soldier, 
since  they  left  thee  for  dead.  We  saved  thy  life, 
and  thou  art  nothing  to  them  now." 

"  Certainly,  you  are  right,  Aunt  Gredel,"  I  would 
say ;  "  but  for  all  that  we  can  not  be  married  without 
going  to  the  mayor — without  the  permit — and  if  we 
do  not  go  to  the  mayor,  the  priest  will  not  dare  to 
marry  us  at  the  church." 

Then  aunt  would  be  very  grave,  and  always  ended 
by  saying :  "  You  see,  Joseph,  that  all  those  people 
from  first  to  last  have  fixed  every  thing  to  suit  them- 
selves. Who  pays  the  guards,  and  the  judges,  and  the 
priests,  and  who  is  it  that  pays  everybody  ?  It  is  we  ! 
and  yet  they  dare  not  marry  us.  It  is  shameful ;  and 
if  it  goes  on,  we  will  go  to  Switzerland  and  be  mar- 
ried." This  would  calm  us,  and  we  would  spend  the 
rest  of  the  day  in  singing  ai*d  laughing. 


WATERLOO.  19 


II. 


Is  spita  of  my  great  impatience  every  day  brought 
something  new,  and  it  comes  back  to  me  now  like 
the  comedies  that  are  played  at  the  fairs.  The 
mayors  and  their  assistants,  the  municipal  counselors, 
the  grain  and  wood  merchants,  the  foresters  and  field 
guards,  and  all  those  people  who  had  been  for  ten 
years  regarded  as  the  best  friends  of  the  Emperor, 
and  had  been  very  severe  if  any  one  said  a  word 
against  his  majesty,  turned  round  and  denounced 
him  as  a  tyrant  and  usurper,  and  called  him  "  the  ogre 
of  Corsica."  You  would  have  thought  that  Napoleon 
had  done  them  some  great  injury,  when  the  fact  wa 
that  they  and  their  families  had  always  had  the  be«t 
offices. 

I  have  often  thought  since,  that  this  is  the  ;vay 
the  good  places  are  obtained  under  all  governments, 
and  still  I  should  be  ashamed  to  abuse  those  who 


20  WATERLOO. 

could  not  defend  themselves,  and  whom  I  had  a  thou- 
sand times  flattered.  I  should  prefer  to  remain  pooT 
and  work  for  a  living  rather  than  to  gain  riches  and 
consideration  by  such  means.  But  such  are  men ! 
And  I  ought  to  remember  too,  that  our  old  mayor 
and  three  or  four  of  the  counselors  did  not  follow 
this  example,  and  Mr.  Goulden  said  that  at  least 
they  respected  themselves,  and  that  the  brawlers 
had  no  honor. 

I  remember  how,  one  day,  the  Mayor  of  Hacmatt 
had  come  to  have  his  watch  put  in  order  at  our  shop, 
when  he  commenced  to  talk  against  the  Emperor  in 
such  a  way  that  Father  Goulden,  rising  suddenly 
said  to  him : 

"  Here,  take  your  watch,  Mr.  Michael,  I  will  not 
work  for  you.  What !  only  last  year  you  called  him 
constantly  '  the  great  man.'  And  you  never  could 
call  him  Emperor  simply,  but  must  add,  Emperor  and 
King,  protector  of  the  Helvetic  Confederation,  &c, 
while  your  mouth  was  full  of  beef;  now  you  say  he  is 
an  ogre,  and  you  call  Louis  XVIII,  *  Louis  the  well- 
beloved  V  You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself!  Do 
you  take  people  for  brutes  ?  and  do  you  think  they 
have  no  memories  ?" 

Then  the  mayor  replied,  "  It  is  plain  to  be  seec 
that  you  are  an  old  Jacobin." 


WATERLOO.  21 

"  What  I  am  is  nobody's  business,"  replied  Father 
Goulden,  "but  in  any  case  I  am  not  a  slanderer." 
He  was  pale  as  death,  and  ended  by  saying,  "Go,  Mr. 
Michael,  go  !  beggars  are  beggars  under  all  gov- 
ernment s." 

He  was  so  indignant  that  day  he  could  hardly  work, 
and  would  jump  up  every  minute  and  exclaim : 

"  Joseph,  I  did  like  those  Bourbons,  but  this  crowd 
of  beggars  has  disgusted  me  with  them  already. 
They  are  the  kind  of  people  who  spoil  every  thing, 
for  they  declare  every  thing  perfect,  beautiful,  and 
magnificent ;  they  see  no  defect  in  any  thing,  they 
raise  their  hands  to  heaven  in  admiration  if  the  king 
but  coughs.  They  want  their  part  of  the  cake.  And 
then,  seeing  their  delight,  kings  and  emperors  end 
by  believing  themselves  gods,  and  when  revolutions 
come,  these  rascals  abandon  them,  and  begin  to  play 
the  same  role  under  some  one  else.  In  this  way  they 
are  always  at  the  top,  while  honest  people  are  always 
in  trouble." 

This  was  about  the  beginning  of  May,  and  it  had 
been  announced  that  the  King  had  just  made  his  sol 
emn  entry  into  Paris,  attended  by  the  marshals  of 
the  Empire,  that  nearly  all  the  population  had  come 
out  to  meet  him,  and  that  old  men  and  women  and 
little  children  had  climbed  upon  the  balconies  to  catch 


22  WATERLOO. 

a  glimpse  of  him,  and  that  he  had  at  first  entered  the 
church  of  Notre  Dame  to  give  thanks  to  God,  and 
immediately  after  retired  to  the  Tuileries. 

It  was  announced  also  that  the  Senate  had  pro- 
nounced a  high-sounding  address,  assuring  him  there 
need  be  no  alarm  on  account  of  all  the  disturb- 
ances, urging  him  to  take  courage  and  promising  the 
support  of  the  senators  in  case  of  any  difficulties. 

Everybody  approved  this  address.  But  we  were 
soon  to  have  a  new  sight,  we  were  to  witness  the  re- 
turn of  the  emigres  from  the  heart  of  Germany  and 
from  Russia.  Some  returned  by  the  government  ves- 
sels, and  some  in  simple  "  salad  baskets,"  a  kind  of 
wicker  carriage,  on  two  and  four  wheels.  The  la- 
dies wore  dresses  with  immense  flower  patterns,  and 
the  men  wore  the  old  French  coats  and  short  breeches, 
and  waistcoats  hanging  down  to  the  thighs,  as  they 
are  represented  in  the  fashions  of  the  time  of  the 
Republic. 

All  these  people  were  apparently  proud  and  hap- 
py to  see  their  country  once  more.  In  spite  of  the 
miserable  beasts  which  dragged  their  wretched  wag- 
ons  filled  with  straw,  and  the  peasants  who  served  a^ 
postilions — in  spite  of  all  this,  I  was  moved  with  com 
passion  as  I  recalled  the  joy  I  felt  five  months  before 
on  seeing  France  again,  and  I  said  to  myself: 


WATERLOO.  23 

"  Poor  people  !  they  will  weep  on  beholding  Paris 
again,  they  are  going  to  be  happy !" 

They  all  stopped  at  the  "  Red  Ox,"  the  hotel  of 
the  old  embassadors  and  marshals  and  princes  and 
iukes  and  rich  people,  who  no  longer  patronized 
it,  and  we  could  see  them  in  the  rooms  brushing 
their  own  hair,  dressing  and  shaving  themselves. 

About  uoon  they  all  came  down,  shouting  and 
calling  "  John  !"  "  Claude  I"  "  Germain  !"  with  great 
impatience,  and  ordering  them  about  like  important 
personages,  and  seating  themselves  around  the  great 
tables,  with  their  old  servants  all  patched  up  and 
standing  behind  them  with  their  napkins  under  their 
arms.  These  people  with  their  old-fashioned  clothes, 
and  their  fine  manners  and  happy  air,  made  a  very 
good  appearance,  and  we  said  to  ourselves  :  c<  There 
are  the  Frenchmen  returning  from  exile;  they  did 
wrong  to  go,  and  to  excite  all  Europe  against  us, 
but  there  is  mercy  for  every  sin ;  may  they  be  well 
and  happy  !     That  is  the  worst  we  wish  them." 

Some  of  these  emigres  returned  by  post,  and 
hen  our  new  mayor,  Mr.  Jourdan,  chevalier  de  St. 
Mollis,  the  vicar,  Mr.  Loth,  and  the  new  comman- 
dant, Mr.  Robert  de  la  Faisanderie,  in  his  embroid- 
ered uniform,  would  wait  for  them  at  the  gate,  and 
when  they  heard   the   postilion's  whip  crack   they 


24  WATERLOO. 

would  go  forward,  smiling  as  if  some  great  good 
fortune  had  arrived,  and  the  moment  the  coach 
stopped,  the  commandant  would  run  and  open  it, 
shouting  most  enthusiastically. 

At  other  times  they  would  stand  quite  still  to 
show  their  respect ;  I  have  seen  these  people  salute 
each  other  three  times  in  succession,  slowly  and 
gravely,  each  time  approaching  a  little  nearer  to  each 
other. 

Father  Goulden  would  laugh  and  say :  "  Do  you 
see,  Joseph,  that  is  the  grand  style — the  style  of  the 
nobles  of  the  ancien  regime  /  by  just  looking  out  of 
the  window  we  can  learn  fine  manners  which  may 
serve  us  when  we  get  to  be  dukes  and  princes." 
Again  it  would  be:  "Those  old  fellows,  there, 
Joseph,  fired  away  at  us  from  the  lines  at  Wissem- 
bourg,  they  were  good  riders  and  they  fought  well, 
as  all  Frenchmen  do,  but  we  routed  them  after  all." 

Then  he  would  wink  and  go  back  laughing  to  his 
work.  But  the  rumor  spread  among  the  servants 
of  the  "  Red  Ox,"  that  these  people  did  not  hesitate 
to  say  that  they  had  conquered  us,  and  that  the 
were  our  masters ;  that  King  Louis  XVIII.  had 
always  reigned  since  Louis  XVII.,  son  of  Louis 
XVI.  ;  that  we  were  rebels,  and  that  they  had  come 
to  restore  us  to  order. 


WATERLOO.  25 

Father  Gorlden  did  not  relish  this,  and  said  to 
me  in  an  ill-humored  way :  "  Do  you  know,  Josepli, 
what  these  people  are  going  to  do  in  Paris  ?  they  are 
going  to  demand  the  restoration  of  their  ponds  and 
their  forests,  their  parks  and  their  chateaux,  and  their 
pensions,  not  to  speak  of  the  fat  offices  and  honors 
and  favors  of  every  kind.  You  think  their  coats 
and  perukes  very  old-fashioned,  but  their  notions 
are  still  older  than  their  coats  and  perukes.  They 
are  more  dangerous  for  us  than  the  Russians  or  the 
Austrians,  because  they  are  going  away,  but  these 
people  are  going  to  remain.  They  would  like  to  de- 
stroy all  we  have  done  for  the  last  twenty-five  years. 
You  see  how  proud  they  are ;  though  many  of  them 
lived  in  the  greatest  misery  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Rhine,  yet  they  think  they  are  of  a  different  race  from 
ours — a  superior  race ;  they  believe  the  people  are 
always  ready  to  let  themselves  be  fleeced  as  they 
were  before  '89.  They  say  Louis  XVIII.  has  good 
sense  ;  so  much  the  better  for  him,  for  if  he  is  unfor- 
tunate enough  to  listen  to  these  people,  if  they 
imagine  even  that  he  can  act  upon  their  advice,  all 
is  lost.  There  will  be  civil  war.  The  people  have 
thought,  during  the  last  twenty-five  years.  They 
know  their  rights,  and  they  know  that  one  man  is  as 

good  as  another,  and  that  all  their  'noble  races'  ara 
2 


26  WATERLOO. 

nonsense.  Each  one  will  keep  his  property,  each  one 
will  have  equal  rights  and  will  defend  himself  to  the 
death."  That  is  what  Father  Goulden  said  to  me, 
and  as  my  permit  ne^er  came,  I  thought  the  uiiniste* 
had  no  time  to  answ  ?r  our  demands  with  all  thesa 
counts  and  viscount,  these  dukes  and  marquises  at 
his  back,  who  were  clamoring  for  their  woods  and 
their  ponds  and  their  fat  offices.     I  was  indignant. 

"  Great  God,"  I  cried,  "  what  misery  !  as  soon  as 
one  misfortune  is  over  another  begins !  and  it  is 
always  the  innocent  who  suffer  for  the  faults  of  the 
others !  O  God !  deliver  us  from  the  nobles,  old 
and  new  !  Crown  them  with  blessings,  but  let  them 
leave  us  in  peace  !" 

One  morning  Aunt  Gredel  came  in  to  see  us ;  it 
was  on  Friday  and  market-day.  She  brought  her 
basket  on  her  arm  and  seemed  very  happy.  I  looked 
toward  the  door,  thinking  that  Catherine  was  com- 
ing too,  and  I  said :  "  Good  morning,  Aunt  Gredel 
Catherine  is  in  town,  she  is  coming  too  ?" 

"  No  !  Joseph,  no  ;  she  is  at  Quatre  Vents.  We 
are  over  our  ears  in  work  on  account  of  the  plant 
nig." 

I  was  disappointed  and  vexed  too,  for  I  had  an 
ticipated  seeing  her.     But  Aunt  Gredel  put  her  bas- 
ket on  the  table,  and  said  as  she  lifted  up  the  cover  : 


WATERLOO.  27 

"look  !  here  is  something  for  you,  Joseph,  some 

thing  from  Catherine." 

There  was  a  great  bouquet  of  May  roses,  violets, 
and  three  beautiful  lilacs  with  their  green  leaves 
around  the  edge.  The  sight  of  this  made  me  happy, 
and  I  laughed  and  said  :  "  How  sweetly  it  smells.'* 
And  Father  Gculden  turned  round  and  laughed  too, 
saying : 

"  You  see,  Joseph,  they  are  always  thinking  of 
you !" 

And  we  all  laughed  together.  My  good  humor 
had  returned,  and  I  kissed  Aunt  Gredel  and  told  her 
to  take  it  to  Catherine  from  me. 

Then  I  put  my  bouquet  in  a  vase  on  the  window 
sill  by  my  bedside,  and  thought  of  Catherine  going 
out  in  the  early  morning  to  gather  the  violets  and 
the  fresh  roses  and  adding;  one  after  the  other  in  the 
dew,  putting  in  the  lilacs  last,  and  the  odor  seemed 
still  more  delightful.  I  could  not  look  at  them  enough, 
left  them  on  the  window-sill,  thinking  : 

"  I  shall  enjoy  them  through  the  night,  and  shall 
give  them  fresh  water  in  the  morning,  and  the  next 
day  after  will  be  Sunday  and  I  shall  see  Catherine 
and  thank  her  with  a  kiss." 

I  went  back  into  the  room,  where  Aunt  Gredel  was 
talking  to  Father  Goulden  about  the  markets  and 


28  WATERLOO. 

the  price  of  grain,  &c.,  both  in  the  best  of  humoi 
Aunt  put  her  basket  on  the  ground  and  said : 

"  Well,  Joseph,  your  permit  has  not  come  yet  ?" 

"  No  !  not  yet,  and  it  is  terrible  !" 

"  Yes,"  she  replied,  "  the  ministers  are  all  alike, 
one  is  no  better  than  another ;  they  take  the  worst 
and  laziest  to  fill  that  place." 

Then  she  went  on  :  "  Make  yourself  easy  I  have  a 
plan  which  will  change  all  that."  She  laughed,  and 
as  Father  Goulden  and  I  listened  to  hear  her  plan,  she 
continued : 

"  Just  now  while  I  was  at  the  town-hall,  Sergeant 
Ilarmantier  announced  that  we  were  to  have  a  grand 
mass  for  the  repose  of  the  souls  of  Louis  XVI, 
Pichegru,  Moreau,  and — another  one." 

"  Yes,"  interrupted  Father  Goulden,  "  for  George 
Cadoudal, — I  read  it  last  evening  in  the  gazette." 

"That  is  it,  of  Cadoudal,"  said  Aunt  Gredel. 
"  You  see,  Joseph,  hearing  that,  I  thought  at  once, 
now  we  will  have  the  permit.'  We  are  going  to  have 
processions  and  atonements,  and  we  will  all  go  togeth- 
er, Joseph,  Catherine,  and  I.  We  shall  be  the  first, 
and  everybody  will  say,  'They  are  good  royalists, 
they  are  well  disposed.'  The  priest  will  hear  of  it. 
Now  the  priests  have  long  arms,  as  in  the  time  of  the 
generals  and  colonels, — we  will  go  and  see  him,  he 


WATERLOO.  29 

will  receive  us  favorably,  and  will  even  make  a  peti- 
tion for  us.  And  I  tell  you  this  will  succeed,  we 
shall  not  fail  this  time." 

She  spoke  quite  low  as  she  explained  all  this,  and 
seemed  well  satisfied  with  her  ingenuity.  I  felt 
happy  too,  and  thought,  "  That  is  what  we  must  do, 
Aunt  Gredel  is  right."  But  on  looking  at  Father 
Goulden,  I  saw  he  was  very  grave,  and  that  he  had 
turned  away  and  was  looking  at  a  watch  through 
his  glass,  and  knitting  his  big  white  eyebrows.  So, 
knowing  he  was  not  pleased,  I  said : 

"  I  think  myself,  that  w^ould  succeed,  but  before 
we  do  any  thing  I  would  like  to  have  Father  Goul- 
den's  opinion." 

Then  he  turned  round  and  said : 

"  Every  one  is  free,  Joseph,  to  follow  his  own  con- 
science. To  make  an  expiation  for  the  death  oi 
Louis  XVI.  is  all  very  well ;  honest  people  of  all  par- 
ties will  have  nothing  to  say,  if  they  are  royalists, 
of  course ;  but  if  you  kneel  from  self-interest,  you 
had  better  stay  at  home.  As  for  Louis  XVI. ,  I  will  let 
him  pass,  but  for  Pichegru,  Moreau,  and  Cadoudal, — 
that  is  altogether  another  thing.  Pichegru  surren- 
dered his  troops  to  the  enemy,  Moreau  fought  against 
France,  and  George  Cadoudal  was  an  assassin, — three 
kinds  of  ambitious  men,  who  asked  for  nothing  but 


30  WATERLOO. 

to  oppress  us,  and  all  three  deserved  their  fate.     Thai 
is  what  I  think." 

"  But  what  has  all  that  to  do  with  us,  pray  ?"  ex 
claimed  Aunt  Gredel.     "  We  will  not  go  for  them,  w 
will  go  to  get  our  permit.     I  despise  all  the  rest, 
and  so  does  Joseph,  do  you  not?" 

I  was  greatly  embarrassed,  for  what  Father  G gul- 
den said  seemed  to  me  to  be  right,  and  he,  seeing 
this,  said: 

"  I  understand  the  love  of  young  people,  Mother 
Gredel,  but  we  must  not  use  such  means  to  induce 
a  young  man  to  sacrifice  what  he  thinks  is  right.  If 
Joseph  does  not  hold  the  same  opinion  as  I  do  of 
Pichegru  and  Moreau  and  Cadoudal,  very  well,  let 
him  go  to  the  procession.  I  shall  not  reproach  him 
for  it,  but  as  for  me,  I  shall  not  go." 

"  I  shall  not  go  either.  Mr.  Goulden  is  right,"  I 
replied. 

I  saw  Aunt  Gredel  was  displeased,  she  turned  quite 
red,  but  was  calm  again  in  a  moment,  and  added : 

"  Very  well !  Catherine  and  I  will  go,  because  we 
mock  at  all  those  old  notions." 

Father  Goulden  could  not  help  smiling  as  he  saw 
her  anger. 

"  Yes,  everybody  is  free,"  said  he,  "  to  do  as  he 
pleases,  so  do  as  you  like." 


WATERLOO.  31 

Aunt  Gredel  took  up  her  basket  and  went  away, 
and  he  laughed  and  made  a  sign  to  me  to  go  with  her. 
I  very  quickly  had  my  coat  on  and  overtook  her  tt\ 
the  corner  of  the  street. 

"  Listen,  Joseph,"  said  she,  as  she  went  toward  the 
square,  "  Father  Goulden  is  an  excellent  man,  but  he 
is  an  old  fool !  He  has  never  since  I  knew  him  been 
satisfied  with  any  thing.  He  does  not  say  so,  but 
the  Republic  is  always  in  his  head.  He  thinks  of 
nothing  but  his  old  Republic,  when  everybody  was  a 
sovereign — beggars,  tinkers,  soap-boilers,  Jews,  and 
Christians.  There  is  no  sense  in  it.  But  what  are 
we  to  do  ?  If  he  were  not  such  an  excellent  man  I 
would  not  care  for  him,  but  we  must  remember  he 
has  taught  you  a  good  trade,  and  done  us  all  many 
favors,  and  we  owe  him  great  respect,  that  is  why  I 
hurried  away,  for  I  was  inclined  to  be  angry." 

"  You  did  right,"  I  said,  "  I  love  Father  Goulden 
like  my  own  father,  and  you  like  my  mother,  and 
nothing  could  give  me  so  much  pain  as  to  see  you 
angry  with  one  another." 

•  "  I  quarrel  with  a  man  like  him  !"  said  Aunt  Gre- 
del. "  I  would  rather  jump  out  of  the  window.  No, 
no,  but  we  need  not  listen  to  all  he  says,  for  I  insist 
that  this  procession  is  a  good  thing  for  us,  that  the 
priest  will  get  the  permit  for  us,  and  that  is  the  prin 


32  WATERLOO. 

cipal  thing.  Catherine  and  I  will  go,  and  as  Mr 
Goulden  will  stay  at  home,  you  had  best  stay  too. 
But  I  am  certain  that  three-fourths  of  the  town  and 
,ountry  round  will  go,  and  whether  it  be  for  Moreau 
or  Pichegru  or  Cadoudal  it  is  of  no  consequence.  It 
will  be  very  fine.     You  will  see !" 

"  I  believe  you,"  I  answered. 

"We  had  reached  the  German  gate ;  I  kissed  hei 
again,  and  went  back  quite  happy  to  my  work. 


WATERLOO.  33 


III. 

I  recollect  this  visit  of  Aunt  Gredel  because  eight 
days  after  the  processions  and  atonements  and  ser- 
mons commenced,  and  did  not  end  till  the  return  of 
the  Emperor  in  1815,  and  then  they  commenced  again 
and  continued  till  the  fall  of  Charles  X.  in  1830. 
Everybody  who  was  then  alive  knows  there  was  no 
end  to  them.  So  when  I  think  of  Napoleon,  I  hear 
the  cannon  of  the  arsenal  thunder  and  the  panes  of 
our  windows  rattle,  and  Father  Goulden  cries  out 
from  his  bed  :  "  Another  victory,  Joseph  !  Ha ! 
ha!  ha !  Always  victories."  And  when  I  think  of 
Louis  XVIII.,  I  hear  the  bells  ring  and  I  imagine 
Father  Brainstem  and  his  two  big  boys  hanging  to 
the  ropes,  and  I  hear  Father  Goulden  laugh  and  say : 
"That,  Joseph,  is  for  Saint  Magloire  or  Saint  Poly* 
carp." 

I  can  not  think  of  those  days  in  any  other  way.' 
2* 


34  WATERLOO. 

Under  the  Empire  I  see  too  at  night-fall,  Father 
Coiffe,  Nicholas  Rolfo,  and  five  or  six  other  veterans, 
loading  their  cannon  for  the  evening  salute  of  twenty 
one  guns,  while  half  of  Pfalzbourg  stand  on  the  op- 
posite bastion  looking  at  the  red  light,  and  smoke, 
and  watching  the  wads  as  they  fall  into  the  moat ; 
then  the  illuminations  at  night  and  the  crackers  and 
rockets,  I  hear  the  children  cry  Vive  V Empereur, 
and  then  some  days  after,  the  death  notices  and  the 
conscription.  Under  Louis  XVIII.  I  see  the  altars 
and  the  peasants  with  their  carts  full  of  moss  and 
broom  and  young  pines ;  the  ladies  coming  out  of 
their  houses  with  great  vases  of  flowers  ;  people  car- 
rying their  chandeliers  and  crucifixes,  and  then  the 
processions — the  priest  and  his  vicars,  the  choir  boys 
and  Jacob  Cloutier,  Purrhus,  and  Tribou,  the  singers ; 
the  beadle  Kcekli,  with  his  red  robe  and  his  banner 
which  swept  the  skies,  the  bells  ringing  their  full 
peals  ;  Mr.  Jourdan,  the  new  mayor,  with  his  great 
red  face,  his  beautiful  uniform  with  his  cross  of  St. 
Louis,  and  the  Commandant  with  his  three-cornered 
hat  under  his  arm,  his  great  peruke  frosted  with  pow- 
der, and  his  uniform  glittering  in  the  sunshine,  and 
behind  them  the  town  council,  and  the  innumerable 
torches,  which  they  lighted  for  each  other  as  the 
wind  blew  them  out;  the  Swiss,  Jean-Peter  Sirou, 


WATERLOO.  35 

with  his  blue  beard  closely  shaven  and  his  splendid 
hat  pointing  across  his  shoulders,  his  broad  white  silk 
shoulder-belt  sprinkled  with  fleur-de-lis  across  his 
breast,  his  halberd  erect,  glistening  like  a  plate  of 
silver ;  the  young  girls,  ladies,  and  thousands  of 
country  people  in  their  Sunday  clothes,  praying  in 
concert  with  the  old  people  at  their  head,  from  each 
village,  who  kept  repeating  incessantly,  "  pray  for  us, 
pray  for  us."  With  the  streets  full  of  leaves  and 
garlands  and  the  white  flags  in  the  windows,  the  Jews 
and  the  Lutherans  looking  out  from  their  closed 
blinds  and  the  sun  lighting  up  the  grand  sight  below. 
This  continued  from  1814-to  1830,  except  during  the 
hundred  days,  not  to  speak  of  the  missions,  the 
bishop's  visits,  and  other  extraordinary  ceremonies. 
I  like  best  to  tell  you  all  this  at  once,  for  if  I  should 
undertake  to  describe  one  procession  after  another 
the  story  would  be  too  long. 

Well !  this  commenced  the  19th  of  May,  and  the 
same  day  that  Harmentier  announced  the  grand 
atonement,  there  arrived  five  preachers  from  Nancy, 
roung  men,  who  preached  during  the  whole  week 
rom  morning  until  midnight.  This  was  to  prepare 
lor  the  atonement ;  nothing  else  was  talked  about  in 
ihe  town,  the  people  were  converted,  and  all  the 
women  and  girls  went  to  confession.     It  wTas  rumored 


36  WATERLOO. 

also  that  the  national  property  was  to  be  restored, 
and  that  the  poor  men  would  be  separated  from  th« 
"espectable  people  by  the  procession,  because  the 
Debars  would  not  dare  to  show  themselves.  You 
may  imagine  my  chagrin  at  being  obliged,  in  spite  of 
myself,  to  remain  among  the  poor  people  ;  but,  thank 
God !  I  had  nothing  to  reproach  myself  with  in  re- 
gard to  the  death  of  Louis  XVI. ,  and  I  had  none  of 
the  national  property,  and  all  I  wanted  was  permis- 
sion to  marry  Catherine.  I  thought  with  Aunt  Gre- 
del  that  Father  Goulden  was  very  obstinate,  but  I 
never  dared  to  say  a  word  to  him  about  that.  I  was 
very  unhappy,  the  more  so,  because  the  people  who 
came  to  us  to  have  their  watches  repaired,  respectable 
citizens,  mayors,  foresters,  &c,  approved  of  all  these 
sermons,  and  said  that  the  like  had  never  been  heard. 
Mr.  Goulden  always  kept  on  his  work  while  listening 
to  them,  and  when  it  was  done  he  would  turn  to  them 
and  say,  "  Here  is  your  watch,  Mr.  Christopher  or  Mr. 
Nicholas;  it  is  so  and  so  much."  He  did  not  seem 
to  be  interested  in  these  matters,  and  it  was  only 
when  one  and  another  would  speak  of  the  national 
proi^erty,  of  the  rebellion  of  twenty-five  years,  and  oi 
expiating  past  crimes,  that  he  would  take  off  his  spec- 
tacles and  raise  his  head  to  listen,  and  would  say  with 
an  air  of  surprise,  "  Pshaw !  well !  well !  that  is  fine  « 


WATERLOO.  37 

that  is,  Mr  Claude  !  indeed  you  astonish  me  These 
young  men  preach  so  well  then  ?  Well,  if  the  work 
were  not  so  pressing,  I  would  go  and  hear  them.  I 
eed  instruction  also." 

I  always  kept  thinking  that  he  would  change  his 
mind,  and  the  next  evening  as  we  were  finishing  our 
supper  I  was  happy  enough  to  hear  him  say  good 
humoredly : 

"  Joseph,  are  you  not  curious  to  hear  these  preach- 
ers ?  They  tell  so  many  fine  things  of  them,  that  I 
want  to  hear  how  it  is  for  myself." 

"  Oh !  Mr.  Goulden,  I  should  like  nothing  better  \ 
but  we  must  lose  no  time,  for  the  church  is  always 
full  by  the  second  stroke  of  the  bell." 

"Very  well !  let  us  go,"  said  he,  rising  and  taking 
down  his  hat.  "  I  am  curious  to  see  how  it  is.  Those 
people  astonish  me.     Come  !  " 

We  went  out ;  the  moon  was  shining  so  brightly 
that  we  could  recognize  people  as  easily  as  in  broad 
daylight.  At  the  corner  of  the  rue  Fouquet  we  saw 
that  even  the  steps  of  the  church  were  already  cov- 
ered with  people.  Two  or  three  old  women,  Annette 
Petit,  Mother  Balaie,  and  Jeannette  Baltzer,  with 
their  big  shawls  wrapped  closely  round  them,  and 
tne  long  fringes  of  their  bonnets  over  their  eyes, 
hurried  past   us,  when   Father   Goulden  exclaimed, 


38  WATERLOO. 

"  Here  are  the  old  women !  Ha '  ha  !  ha  !  alwayi 
the  same !" 

He  laughed,  and  as  he  went  on  said,  that  since 
Father  Colin's  time  there  had  never  been  so  many 
people  seen  at  the  evening  service.  I  could  not 
believe  that  he  was  speaking  of  the  old  landlord 
of  the  "  Three  Roses,"  opposite  the  infantry  barracks, 
so  I  said : 

"  He  was  a  priest,  Mr.  Goulden  ?" 

"  No,  no,"  he  answered  smiling,  "  I  mean  old  Colin. 
In  1*792,  when  we  had  a  club  in  the  church,  every- 
body could  preach ;  but  Colin  spoke  best  of  all.  He 
had  a  magnificent  voice,  and  said  many  forcible  and 
true  things,  and  the  people  came  from  far  and  near, 
from  Saverne  and  Saarburg,  and  even  still  farther 
away  to  hear  him ;  women  and  girls,  '  citoyennes '  as 
they  called  them  then,  filled  the  choir  galleries  and 
the  pews.  They  wore  little  cockades  in  their  bonnets, 
and  sang  the  '  Marseillaise  '  to  arouse  the  young  men, 
You  never  saw  any  thing  like  it !  Annette  Petit, 
Mother  Baltzer,  and  all  those  whom  you  see  running 
before  us,  with  their  prayer-books  under  their  arms, 
were  among  the  foremost.  But  they  had  white  teeth 
and  beautiful  hair  then,  and  loved  '  Liberty,  Equal- 
ity, and  Fraternity.5  Ha  !  ha !  poor  Bevel !  poor  An- 
nette !     Now  they  are  going  to  repent,  though  they 


WATERLOO.  39 

weie  good  patriots  then  ;  I  believe  God  will  pardon 
them."  He  laughed  as  he  recalled  these  old  stories, 
but  when  we  had  reached  the  steps  of  the  church  he 
grew  sober,  and  said: 

"  Yes — yes — every  thing  changes,  every  thing !  3 
remember  the  day  in  '93,  when  old  Colin  spoke  of 
the  country  being  in  danger,  when  three  hundred 
young  men  left  the  country  to  join  the  army  of 
Hoche  ;  Colin  followed  them,  and  became  their  com- 
mander. He  was  a  terrible  fellow  among  his  grena- 
diers. He  would  not  sign  the  proposition  to  make 
Napoleon  emperor, — now  he  sells  over  the  counter 
by  the  glass !" 

Then  looking  at  me,  as  if  he  were  astonished  at 
his  own  thoughts,  he  said,  "  Let  us  go  in,  Joseph." 

We  entered  under  the  great  pillars  of  the  organ  ; 
the  crowd  was  very  great,  and  he  did  not  say  a  word 
more.  There  were  lights  burning  in  the  choir  over 
the  heads  of  the  people.  The  only  sound  which  broke 
the  silence  was  the  opening  and  shutting  of  the 
doors  of  the  pews.  At  last  we  heard  Sirou's  halberd 
on  the  floor,  and  Mr.  Goulden  said,  "  There  he  is  !" 

A  light  near  the  vessel  for  the  holy  water  enabled 
us  to  see  a  little.  A  shadow  mounted  to  the  pnlpit 
at  the  left,  while  Kcekli  lighted  two  or  three  candles 
with  his  stick.    The  preacher  might  have  been  twenty 


40  WATERLOO. 

five  or  thirty  years  old,  he  had  a  pleasant,  rosy  face 
and  heavy  blonde  hair  below  his  tonsure,  that  fell  in 
curls  over  his  neck.     They  commenced  by  singing 
psalm,  the  young  girls  of  the  village  sang  in  the  choir 
"What  joy  to   be   a   Christian."      After  that  the 
preacher  from  the  desk  said,  that  he  had  come  to 
defend  the  faith,  the  law,  and  the  "  right  divine  "  of 
Louis  XVIIL,  and  demanded   if  any  one  had   the 
audacity  to  take  the  other  side.    As  nobody  wished  to 
be  stoned,  there  was  a  dead  silence.     Then  a  brown, 
thin  man,  six  feet  high,  with  a  black  cloak  on,  rose  in 
one  of  the  pews  opposite,  and  exclaimed : 

"  I  have !  I  maintain  that  faith,  religion,  and  the 
right  of  kings,  and  all  the  rest,  are  nothing  but  su- 
perstitions. I  maintain  that  the  republic  is  just,  and 
that  the  worship  of  reason  is  worth  them  all ! "  and 
so  on. 

The  people  were  indignant.  There  never  was  any 
thing  like  it !  When  he  had  finished  speaking,  I  looked 
%t  Mr.  Goulden,  who  laughed  softly,  and  said :  "  Lis- 
ten !  listen !" 

Of  course  I  listened ;  the  young  preacher  prayed  to 
God  for  this  infidel,  and  then  he  spoke  so  beautiful- 
ly that  the  crowd  was  entranced.  The  big  thin  man 
replied,  saying,  "  They  had  done  right  to  guillotine 
Louis  XVI.,  Marie  Antoinette,  and  all  the  family." 


WATERLOO.  41 

The  indignation  increased,  and  the  men  fiom  Bois-de 
Chenes,  and  especially  their  wives,  wanted  to  get  into 
the  pew  to  knock  him  down,  but  just  then  Sirou  came 
up,  crying  "  Room  !  room !"  and  old  Kcekli  in  his  red 
gown  threw  himself  before  the  man,  who  escaped  into 
the  sacristy,  raising  his  hands  to  heaven  and  declar- 
ing that  he  was  converted,  and  that  he  renounced  the 
devil  and  all  his  works.  Then  the  preacher  made  a 
prayer  for  the  soul  of  the  sinner.  It  was  a  real  tri- 
umph for  religion. 

Everybody  left  about  eleven  o'clock,  and  it  was  an 
nounced  that  there  would  be  a  procession  the  next 
day,  which  was  Sunday. 

In  consequence  of  the  great  crowd,  which  had  push- 
ed us  into  the  corner,  Mr.  Goulden  and  I  were  among 
the  last  to  get  out,  and  by  the  time  we  reached  the 
street,  the  people  from  Quatre  Yents  and  the  other 
villages  were  already  beyond  the  German  gate,  and 
nothing  was  heard  in  the  streets  but  the  closing  of 
the  shutters  by  the  towns'-people,  and  a  few  old 
women  talking  about  the  wonderful  things  they 
had  heard,  as  they  went  home  by  the  rue  de  1' Ar- 
senal. 

Father  Goulden  and  I  walked  along  in  the  silence, 
he  with  his  head  bent  down  and  smiling,  though 
without  speaking  a  word.     When  we  reached  Lome 


42  WATERLOO. 

I  lighted  the  candle,  and  while  he  was  undressing 
asked : 

"  Well !  Father  Goulden,  did  they  preach  well  ?" 
"  Yes,"  he  replied  smiling,  "  yes,  for  young  men  wIr 
have  seen  nothing,  it  was  not  bad."  Then  he 
laughed  aloud  and  said,  "  But  if  old  Colin  had  been 
in  the  Jacobin's  place,  he  would  have  puzzled  the 
young  man  terribly."  I  was  greatly  surprised  at  that, 
and  as  I  still  waited  to  hear  what  more  he  had  to 
say,  he  slowly  pulled  his  black  silk  cap  over  his 
ears  and  added  thoughtfully,  "  but  it's  all  the  same ; 
all  the  same.  These  people  go  too  fast,  much  too  fast. 
They  will  never  make  me  believe  that  Louis  XVIII. 
knows  about  all  this.  No,  he  has  seen  too  much  in  his 
life  not  to  know  men  better  than  that.  But,  good 
night,  Joseph,  good  night.  Let  us  hope  that  an  order 
will  soon  arrive  from  Paris  sending  these  young 
men  back  to  their  seminary." 

I  went    to  bed  and    dreamed  of  Catherine,  the 
Jacobin,  and  of  the  procession  we  were  going  to  sea 


WATERLOO.  43 


IV. 

Next  morning  the  bells  began  to  ring  as  soon  as 
it  was  light.  I  rose  and  opened  my  shutters  aud  saw 
the  red  sun  rising  from  behind  the  Magazine,  and 
over  the  forest  of  Bonne-Fontaine.  It  might  have 
been  five  o'clock,  and  you  could  feel  beforehand  how 
hot  it  was  going  to  be,  and  the  air  was  laden  with 
the  odor  of  the  oak  and  beech  and  holly  leaves  which 
were  strewn  in  the  streets.  The  peasants  began  to 
arrive  in  companies,  talking  in  the  still  morning.  You 
could  recognize  the  villagers  from  Wechera,  from 
Metting,  from  the  Graufthal  and  Dasenheim,  by  their 
three-cornered  hats  turned  down  in  front  and  their 
square  coats,  and  the  women  with  their  long  black 
dresses  and  big  bonnets  quilted  like  a  mattress  hang- 
ing on  their  necks  ;  and  those  from  Dagsberg,  Hilde- 
house,  Harberg,  and  Houpe  with  their  large  round 
felt  hats,  and  the  women  without  bonnets  anl  with 


44  WATERLOO. 

short  skirts,  small,  brown,  dry,  and  quick  as  powder 
with  the  children  behind  with  thtir  shoes  in  theii 
hands,  but  when  they  reached  Luterspech  they  sat 
down  in  a  row  and  put  them  on  to  be  ready  for  the 
procession. 

Some  priests  from  the  different  villages,  also  came 
by  twos  and,  threes,  laughing  and  talking  among 
themselves  in  the  best  of  humor. 

And  I  thought,  as  I  rested  my  elbows  on  the  win- 
dow-sill, that  these  people  must  have  risen  before 
midnight  to  reach  here  so  early  in  the  morning,  and 
that  they  must  have  come  over  the  mountains  walk- 
ing for  hours  under  the  trees,  crossing  the  little 
bridges  in  the  moonlight;  as  I  thought  this  I  re- 
flected that  religion  is  a  beautiful  thing,  that  the 
people  in  towns  do  not  know  what  it  is,  and  that  for 
thousands  upon  thousands  of  field  laborers  and  wood- 
choppers,  uncultivated  and  rude  beings,  who  at  the 
same  time  were  good  and  loved  their  wives  and 
children  and  honored  their  aged  parents,  supporting 
them  and  closing  their  eyes  in  the  hope  of  a  better 
world  ;  this  was  the  only  consolation.  And  in  look- 
mg  at  the  crowd,  I  imagined  that  Aunt  Greclel  and 
Catherine  had  the  same  thoughts,  and  I  was  happy 
to  know  that  they  prayed  for  me.  It  grew  lighter 
and  lighter,  and  the  bells  rang  while  I  continued  to 


WATERLOO.  45 

look  on.  I  heard  Father  Goulden  rise  and  dress 
himself,  and  a  few  minutes  after  he  came  into  my 
chamber  in  his  shirt  sleeves,  and  seeing  me  so  thought- 
ful,  he  exclaimed: 

"  Joseph,  the  most  beautiful  thing  in  the  world  is 
the  religion  of  the  people." 

I  was  quite  astonished  to  hear  him  express  precise- 
ly my  own  thoughts. 

"  Yes,"  he  added,  "  the  love  of  God,  the  love  of 
country  and  of  family,  are  one  and  the  same  thing ; 
but  it  is  sad  to  see  the  love  of  country  perverted  to 
satisfy  the  ambition  of  a  man,  and  the  love  of  God 
to  exalt  the  pride  and  the  desire  to  rule  in  a  few." 

These  words  impressed  me  deeply,  and  I  have 
often  thought  since  that  they  expressed  the  sad  truth. 
Well !  to  return  to  those  days,  you  know  that  after 
the  siege  we  were  obliged  to  work  on  Sundays,  be- 
cause Mr.  Goulden  while  serving  as  a  gunner  on  the 
ramparts  had  neglected  his  work  and  we  were 
behindhand.  So  that  on  that  morning  as  on  the 
others  I  lighted  the  fire  in  our  little  stove  and  pre- 
pared the  breakfast ;  the  windows  were  open  and  we 
could  hear  the  noise  from  the  streets. 

Mr.  Goulden  leaned  out  of  the  window  and  said  : 
"  Look  !  all  the  shops  except  the  inns  and  the  beer- 
houses are  closed  !" 


£6  WATERLOO. 

He  laughed,  and  I  asked,  "  Shall  we  open  our  shut 
ters,  Mr.  Goulden  ?" 

He  turned  round  as  if  surprised  :  "  Look  here,  Jo- 
seph, I  never  knew  a  better  boy  than  you,  but  you 
lack  sense.  Why  should  we  close  our  shutters  ? 
Because  God  created  the  world  in  six  days  and  rest- 
ed the  seventh  ?  But  we  did  not  create  it  ourselves, 
and  we  need  to  work  to  live.  If  we  shut  our  shop 
from  interest  and  pretend  to  be  saints  and  so  gain 
new  customers,  that  will  be  hypocrisy.  You  speak 
sometimes  without  thinking." 

I  saw  at  once  that  I  was  wrong,  and  I  replied : 
"  Mr.  Goulden,  we  will  leave  our  windows  open  and 
it  will  be  seen  that  we  have  watches  to  sell,  and  that 
will  do  no  harm  to  any  one." 

"We  were  no  sooner  at  table  than  Aunt  Gredel  and 
Catherine  came.  Catherine  was  dressed  entirely  in 
black,  on  account  of  the  service  for  Louis  XVI.  She 
had  a  pretty  little  bonnet  of  black  tulle,  and  her  dress 
was  very  nicely  made,  and  this  set  off  her  delicate 
red  and  white  complexion  and  made  her  look  so 
beautiful  that  I  could  hardly  believe  that  she  was 
Joseph  Bertha's  beloved ;  her  neck  was  white  as 
snow,  and  had  it  not  been  for  her  lips  and  her  rosy 
little  chin,  her  blue  eyes  and  golden  hair,  I  should 
have  thought  that  it  was  some  one  who  resembled 


WATERLOO.  47 

her,  but  who  was  more  beautiful.  She  laughed  when 
she  saw  how  much  I  admired  her,  aud  at  last  I  said : 
"Catherine,  you  are  too  beautiful  now;  I  dare  not 
kiss  you." 

"  Oh !  you  need  not  trouble  yourself,"  said  she. 

As  she  leaned  upon  my  shoulder  I  gave  her  a  long 
kiss,  so  that  Aunt  Gredel  and  Mr.  Goulden  looked  on 
and  laughed,  and  I  wished  them  far  enough  away, 
that  I  might  tell  Catherine  that  I  loved  her  more  and 
more,  and  that  I  would  give  my  life  a  thousand  times 
for  her ;  but  as  I  could  not  do  that  before  them,  J 
only  thought  of  these  things  and  was  sad. 

Aunt  had  a  black  dress  on  also,  and  her  prayer- 
book  was  under  her  arm. 

"  Come,  kiss  me  too,  Joseph  ;  you  see  I  too  have  a 
black  dress,  like  Catherine's." 

I  embraced  her,  and  Mr.  Goulden  said,  "  You  will 
come  and  dine  with  us — that  is  understood ;  but, 
meanwhile  you  will  take  something,  will  you  not  ?" 

"  We  have  breakfasted,"  replied  Aunt  Gredel. 

"  That  is  nothing  ;  God  knows  when  this  proces- 
sion will  end,  you  will  be  all  the  time  on  your  feet, 
and  will  need  something  to  sustain  you." 

Then  they  sat  down,  Aunt  Gredel  on  my  right, 
and  Catherine  on  my  left,  and  Father  Goulden  oppo- 
site.   They  drank  a  good  glass  of  wine,  and  aunt  saicl 


48  WATERLOO. 

the  procession  would  be  very  fine,  and  that  there  were 
at  least  twenty-five  priests  from  the  neighborhood 
round ;  that  Mr.  Hubert,  the  pastor  of  Quatre  Vents, 
had  come,  and  that  the  grand  altar  in  the  cavalry 
quarter  was  higher  than  the  houses ;  that  the  pine- 
trees  and  poplars  around  had  crape  on  them,  and 
that  the  altar  was  covered  with  a  black  cloth.  She 
talked  of  every  thing  under  the  sun,  while  I  looked 
at  Catherine,  and  we  thought,  without  saying  any 
thing,  "  Oh !  when  will  that  beggarly  minister  write 
and  say,  *  Get  married  and  leave  me  alone'  ?" 

At  last,  toward  nine  o'clock,  and  when  the  second 
bell  had  rung,  Aunt  Gredel  said,  "  That  is  the  second 
ringing ;  we  will  come  to  dinner  as  soon  as  possible." 

"  Yes,  yes,  Mother  Gredel,"  replied  Mr.  Goulden, 
"  we  will  wait  for  vou." 

They  rose,  and  I  went  down  to  the  foot  of  the 
stairs  with  Catherine  in  order  to  embrace  her  once 
again,  when  Aunt  Gredel  cried,  "  Let  us  hurry,  let  us 
hurry !" 

They  went  away,  and  I  went  back  to  my  work ; 
but  from  that  moment  till  about  eleven  o'clock  I 
could  do  nothing  at  all.  The  crowd  was  so  very  great 
that  you  could  hear  nothing  outside  but  a  ceaseless 
murmur  ;  the  leaves  rustled  under  foot,  and  when  the 
procession  left  the  church  the  effect  was  so  imprea 


WATERLOO.  49 

sive  that  even  Mr.  Goulden  himself  stopped  his  work 
to  listen  to  the  prayers  and  hymns. 

I  thought  of  Catherine  in  the  crowd  more  beau- 
tiful than  any  of  the  others,  with  Aunt  Gredel  near 
her,  repeating  "  Pray  for  us,  pray  for  us,"  in  their 
clear  voices.  I  thought  they  must  be  very  much 
fatigued,  and  all  these  voices  and  chants  made  me 
dream,  and  though  I  held  a  watch  in  my  hand  and 
tried  to  work,  my  mind  was  not  on  it.  The  higher 
the  sun  rose  the  more  uneasy  I  became,  till  at  last 
Mr.  Goulden  said,  laughing,  "Ah  !  Joseph,  it  does 
not  go  to-day !"  and  as  I  blushed  rosy  red,  he  contin- 
ued, "  Yes,  when  I  was  dreaming  of  Louisa  Benedum 
I  looked  in  vain  for  springs  and  wheels.  I  could 
see  nothing  but  her  blue  eyes." 

He  sighed,  and  I  too,  thinking,  "you  are  quite 
right,  Mr.  Goulden." 

"  That  is  enough,"  he  added  a  moment  after,  taking 
the  watch  from  my  hands.  "  Go,  child,  and  find  Cath- 
erine. You  can  not  conquer  your  love,  it  is  stronger 
han  you." 

On  hearing  this,  I  wanted  to  exclaim  "  Oh,  good, 
excellent  man !  you  can  never  know  hoTV  much  I  love 
you,"  but  he  rose  to  wipe  his  hands  on  a  towel  be- 
hind the  door,  and  I  said,  "If  you  really  wish  it 
Mr.  Goulden." 


50  WATERLOO. 

"  Yes,  yes  ;  certainly  !  " 

I  did  not  wait  for  another  word.  My  heart  bounded 
with  joy,  I  put  on  my  hat  and  went  down  the  stairs 
at  a  leap,  exclaiming,  "I  will  be  back  in  an  hour, 
Mr.  Goulden." 

I  was  out  of  doors  in  a  moment,  but  what  a  crowd, 
what  a  crowd  !  they  swarmed !  military  hats,  felt  hats, 
bonnets,  and  over  all  the  noise  and  confusioi),  the 
church  bell  tolled  slowly. 

For  a  minute  I  stood  on  our  own  steps,  not  knowing 
which  way  to  turn,  and  seeing  at  last  that  it  was  im- 
possible to  take  a  step  in  that  crowd  I  turned  into  the 
little  lane  called  the  Lanche,  in  order  to  reach  the 
ramparts  and  run  and  wait  for  the  procession  at  the 
slope  by  the  German  gate,  as  then  it  would  turn  up 
the  rue  de  College.  It  might  have  been  eleven  o'clock. 
I  saw  many  things  that  day  which  have  suggested  many 
reflections  since  ;  they  were  the  signs  of  great  trouble 
but  nobody  noticed  them,  nobody  had  the  good  sense  to 
comprehend  their  significance.  1-  wasorJy  later,  when 
everybody  was  up  to  their  necks  in  trouble,  when  we 
were  obliged  to  take  our  knapsacks  and  guns,  again 
to  be  cut  in  pieces ;  then  they  said,  "  if  we  had  only  had 
good  sense  and  justice  and  prudence  we  should  have 
been  so  much  better  off,  we  should  have  been  quiet  at 
home  instead  of  this  breaking  up,  which  is  coming  ; 


WATERLOO.  51 

we  can  do  nothing  but  be  quiet  and  submit ;  what  a 
misfortune ! " 

I  went  along  the  Lanche,  where  they  shot  the  de 
serters  under  the  Empire.  The  noise  grew  fainter  in 
the  distance,  and  the  chanting  and  prayers  and  the 
sound  of  the  bells  as  well.  All  the  doors  and  windows 
were  closed,  everybody  had  followed  the  procession. 
I  stopped  in  the  silent  street  to  take  breath,  a  slight 
breeze  came  from  the  fields  beyond  the  ramparts,  and 
I  listened  to  the  tumult  in  the  distance  and  wiped  the 
sweat  from  my  face  and  thought,  "  how  am  I  to  find 
Catherine?" 

I  was  climbing  the  steps  at  the  postern  gate  when 
I  heard  some  one  say:  "  Mark  the  points,  Margarot." 

I  then  saw  that  Father  Colin's  windows  on  the 
first  floor  were  open,  and  that  some  men  in  their  shirt 
sleeves  were  playing  billiards.  They  were  old  soldiers 
with  short  hair,  and  mustaches  like  a  brush.  They 
went  back  and  forth,  without  troubling  themselves 
about  the  mayor,  or  the  commandant,  or  Louis  XVI., 
or  the  bourgeoisie.  One  of  them,  short,  thick,  with 
his  whiskers  cut  as  was  the  fashion  of  the  nussars  in 
those  days,  and  his  cravat  untied,  leaned  out  of  the 
window,  resting  his  cue  on  the  sill,  and,  looking  tow- 
ard the  square,  said : 

"We  will  put  the  game  at  fifty." 


52  WATERLOO. 

I  thought  at  once  that  they  were  half-pay  officers 
who  were  spending  their  last  sous,  and  who  would 
soon  be  troubled  to  live.  I  continued  on  my  way, 
and  hurried  along  under  the  vault  of  the  powder  mag- 
azine behind  the  college,  thinking  of  all  these  things, 
but  when  I  reached  the  German  gate  I  forgot  every 
thing.  The  procession  was  just  turning  the  corner 
at  Bockholtz,  the  chants  broke  forth  opposite  the  altar 
like  trumpets,  and  the  young  priests  from  Nancy  were 
running  among  the  crowd  with  their  crucifixes  raised 
to  keep  order,  and  the  Swiss  Sirou  carried  himself 
majestically  under  his  banner ;  at  the  head  of  the  pro- 
cession were  the  priests  and  the  choir  singing,  while 
the  prayers  rose  to  heaven,  and  behind,  the  crowd 
responded:  and  all  this  took  form,  in  a  low  fearful 
murmur. 

I  stood  on  my  tiptoes,  half  hidden  by  the  shed,  try 
ing  to  discover  Catherine  in  all  that  multitude  and 
thinking  only  of  her,  but  what  a  crowd  of  hats  and 
bonnets  and  flags  I  saw  defiling  down  the  rue  Ulrich, 
You.  would  never  have  imagined  that  there  wore  so 
many  people  in  the  country  ;  there  could  not  have 
been  a  soul  left  in  the  villages,  except  a  few  little 
children  and  old  people  who  staid  to  take  care 
of  them. 

I  waited  about  twenty  minutes,  and  gave  up  hoping 


WATERLOO  53 

tc  rind  Catherine,  when  suddenly  I  saw  he  i  with  Aunt 
Gredel.  Aunt  was  praying  in  such  a  loud  clear  voice, 
that  you  could  hear  her  above  all  the  others.  Cath- 
erine said  nothing,  but  walked  slowly  along  with  her 
eyes  cast  down.  If  I  could  only  have  called  to  her 
she  might  perhaps  have  heard  me,  but  it  was  bad 
enough  not  to  join  the  procession  without  causing 
further  scandal.  All  I  can  say  is, — and  there  is  not 
an  old  man  in  Pfalzbourg  who  will  assert  the  con- 
trary,— that  Catherine  was  not  the  least  beautiful 
girl  in  the  country,  and  that  Joseph  Bertha  was  »ot 
to  be  pitied. 

She  had  passed,  and  the  procession  halted  on  the 
"  Place  d'armes,"  before  the  high  altar  at  the  right 
of  the  church.  The  priest  officiated,  and  silence 
spread  all  over  the  city.  In  the  little  streets  at  the 
right  and  the  left,  it  was  as  quiet  as  if  they  could  have 
seen  the  priest  at  the  altar,  great  numbers  kneeled, 
and  others  sat  down  on  the  steps  of  the  houses,  for 
the  heat  was  excessive,  and  many  of  them  had  come 
to  town  before  daylight.  This  grand  sight  impress- 
ed me  very  much,  and  I  prayed  for  my  country  and 
for  peace,  for  I  felt  it  all  in  my  heart,  and  I  remeinbe" 
that  just  then  I  heard  under  the  shed  at  the  German 
gate,  voices  which  said  very  good-humoredly,  *  Come 
come,  give  us  a  little  room,  my  friends." 


54  WATERLOO. 

The  procession  blocked  the  way,  everybody  wa 
stopped,  and  these  voices  disturbed  the  kneeling 
multitude.  Several  persons  near  the  door  made  way. 
The  Swiss  and  the  beadle  looked  on  from  a  distance, 
and  my  curiosity  induced  me  to  get  a  little  nearer 
the  steps,  when  I  saw  five  or  six  old  soldiers  white 
with  dust,  bent  down  and  apparently  exhausted  with 
fatigue,  making  their  way  along  the  slope  in  order 
to  gain  the  little  rue  d' Arsenal,  through  which  they 
no  doubt  thought  to  find  the  way  clear.  It  seems  as 
if  I  could  see  them  now,  with  their  worn-out  shoes 
and  their  white  gaiters,  and  their  old  patched  uni- 
forms and  shakos  battered  by  the  sun  and  rain  and 
the  hardships  of  the  campaign.  They  advanced  in 
file,  a  little  on  the  grass  of  the  slope  in  order  to  dis- 
turb the  people  who  were  below  as  little  as  possible. 
One  old  fellow  with  three  chevrons,  who  marched 
ahead  and  resembled  poor  Sergeant  Pinto  who  was 
killed  near  the  Hinterthor  at  Leipzig,  made  me  feel 
very  sad.  He  had  the  same  long,  gray  mustaches, 
the  same  wrinkled  cheeks,  and  the  same  contented  ail 
in  spite  of  all  his  misfortunes  and  sufferings.  He  had 
his  little  bundle  on  the  end  of  his  stick,  and  smiling 
and  speaking  quite  low  he  said,  "Excuse  us,  gentle- 
men and  ladies,  excuse  us,"  while  the  others  followed 
step  by  stop. 


WATERLOO.  55 

They  were  the  first  prisoners  released  by  the  con- 
vention of  the  23d  of  April,  and  we  saw  these  men 
pass  afterward  every  day  until  July.  They  had  no 
doubt  avoided  the  magazines,  in  order  the  sooner  to 
reach  France. 

On  reaching  the  little  street  they  found  the  crowd 
extended  beyond  the  arsenal ;  and  then  in  order  not 
to  disturb  the  people,  they  went  under  the  postern 
and  sat  down  on  the  damp  steps,  with  their  little 
bundles  on  the  ground  beside  them,  and  waited  for 
the  procession  to  pass.  They  had  come  from  a  great 
distance,  and  hardly  knew  what  was  going  on  with 
us. 

Unhappily  the  wretches  from  Bois-de-chenes,  the 
big  Horni,  Zapheri  Roller,  Nicholas  Cochart,  the 
carder,  Pinacle,  whom  they  had  made  mayor  to  pay 
him  for  having  shown  the  way  to  Falberg  and  Grauf- 
thal  to  the  allies  during  the  siege,  all  these  rascals 
and  others  who  were  with  them,  who  wanted  the 
fleur-de-lis — as  if  the  fleur-de-lis  could  make  them 
any  better — unhappily,  I  say,  all  that  bad  set  who 
lived  by  stealing  fagots  from  the  forest,  had  discov* 
ered  the  old  tri-colored  cockade  in  the  tops  of  their 
shakos,  and  "  now,"  they  thought,  "  is  the  time  to 
prove  ourselves  the  real  supporters  of  the  throne 
and  the  altar." 


56  WATERLOO. 

They  came  on  disturbing  everybody,  Pinacle  bad 
a  big  black  cravat  on  his  neck  and  a  crape,  an  ell 
wide,  on  his  hat,  with  his  shirt  collar  above  his  ears, 
and  as  grave  as  a  bandit  who  wants  to  make  himself 
look  like  an  honest  man;  he  came  up  the  first  one. 
The  old  soldier  with  the  three  chevrons  had  discover- 
ed that  these  men  were  threatening  them  at  a  distance 
and  had  risen  to*  see  what  it  meant. 

"  Come,  come !  don't  crowd  so !"  said  he.  "  We 
are  not  much  in  the  habit  of  running,  what  do  you 
want  ?" 

But  Pinacle,  who  was  afraid  of  losing  so  good  an 
occasion  to  show  his  zeal  for  Louis  XVIIL,  instead 
of  replying  to  him,  smashed  his  shako  at  a  blow, 
shouting,  "Down  with  the  cockade  !" 

Naturally  the  old  veteran  wa-s  indignant  and  was 
about  to  defend  himself,  when  these  wretches,  both 
men  and  women,  fell  upon  the  soldiers,  knocking 
them  down,  pulling  off  their  cockades  and  epaulets, 
and  trampling  them  under  foot  without  shame  or 
pity.  The  poor  old  fellow  got  up  several  times,  ex- 
claiming, in  a  voice  which  went  to  one's  heart, 
"  Pack  of  cowards,  are  you  Frenchmen,  assassins, 
&c,  &c." 

Every  time  he  rose  they  beat  him  down  again,  and 
at  last  left  him  with  his  clothes  torn,  and  covered 


M.    PINACLE    AND   THE    BARAQUINS. 


WATERLOO,  57 

with  blood  in  a  corner,  and  the  commandant,  de  la 
Faisanderie,  having  arrived,  ordered  them  to  be  es- 
corted to  the  "  Violin."  If  I  had  been  able  to  get 
down,  I  should  have  run  to  the  rescue,  withou 
thinking  of  Catherine  or  Aunt  Gredel  or  Mr.  Goulden, 
and  they  might  have  killed  me  too.  When  I  think 
of  it  now  even,  I  tremble,  but  fortunately  the  wall 
of  the  postern  was  twenty  feet  thick,  and  when  I  saw 
them  carried  away  covered  with  blood,  and  com- 
prehended the  whole  horrible  affair,  I  ran  home  by 
way  of  the  arsenal,  where  I  arrived  so  pale  that  Father 
Goulden  exclaimed : 

"  Why,  Joseph !  have  you  been  hurt  ?" 

"  No,  no,"  I  replied,  "  but  I  have  seen  a  frightful 
thing."  And  I  commenced  to  cry  as  I  told  him  of 
the  affair.  He  walked  up  and  down  with  his  hands 
behind  his  back,  stopping  from  time  to  time  to  listen 
to  me,  while  his  lips  contracted  and  his  eyes  spark- 
led. 

"  Joseph,"  said  he,  "  these  men  provoked  them  ?" 

"  No,  Mr.  Goulden." 

"  It  is  impossible,  they  must  have  invited  it  The 
devil !  we  are  not  savages  !  The  rascals  must  have 
had  some  other  reason  than  the  cockades  for  attack- 
ing them !" 

He  conld  not  believe  me,  and  it  was  only  after  tell* 
3* 


58  WATERLOG. 

ing  him  all  the  details  twice  ovei    that  he  said  at 
last : 

"  Well !  since  you  saw  it  with  your  own  eyes  * 
must  believe  you.  But  it  is  a  greater  misfortune 
than  you  think,  Joseph.  If  this  goes  on,  if  they  do 
not  put  a  strong  check  on  these  good-for-nothings,  if 
the  Pinacles  are  to  have  the  upper  hand,  honest 
people  will  open  their  eyes." 

He  said  no  more,  for  the  procession  was  finished 
and  Aunt  Gredel  and  Catherine  had  come. 

We  dined  together,  aunt  was  happy  and  Cather- 
ine too,  but  even  the  pleasure  it  gave  me  to  see  them, 
could  not  make  me  forget  what  I  had  witnessed,  and 
Mr.  Gould  en  was  very  grave  too. 

At  night,  I  went  with  them  to  the  "  Roulette," 
and  then  I  embraced  them  and  bade  them  good 
night.  It  might  have  been  eight  o'clock,  and  I  went 
home  immediately.  Mr.  Goulden  had  gone  to  the 
"  Homme  Sauvage  "  brewery,  as  was  his  habit  on  Sun- 
day, to  read  the  gazette,  and  I  went  to  bed.  He  came 
in  about  ten,  and  seeing  my  candle  burning  on  the 
table,  he  pushed  open  the  door  and  said : 

u  It  seems  that  they  are  having  processions  every- 
where.    You  see  nothing  else  in  the  gazette."     And 
he  added  that  twenty  thousand  prisoners  had  return 
ed,  and  that  it  was  a  happy  thing  for  the  country. 


WATERLOO.  59 


V. 


The  next  morning  all  the  clocks  in  the  village  were 
to  be  wound  up,  and  as  Mr.  Goulden  was  grcwing 
old  he  had  intrusted  that  to  me,  and  I  went  out  very 
early.  The  wind  had  blown  the  leaves  in  heaps  against 
the  walls  during  the  night,  and  the  people  were  com- 
ing to  take  their  torches  and  vases  of  flowers  from 
the  altars.  All  this  made  me  sad,  and  I  thought, 
"  Now  that  they  have  performed  their  service  for  the 
dead,  I  hope  they  are  satisfied.  If  the  permit  would 
come,  it  would  be  all  very  well,  but  if  these  people 
hink  they  are  going  to  amuse  us  with  psalms  they 
are  mistaken.  In  the  time  of  the  Emperor  we  had 
to  go  to  Russia  and  Spain  it  is  true,  but  the  minis- 
ters did  not  leave  the  young  people  to  pine  away. 

I  would  like  to  know  what  peace  is  for  if  it  is  not  to 
get  married  1" 

I  denounced  Louis  XVIII,  the  Comte  d'Artois,  tli€ 


60  WATERLOO 

emigres^  and  everybody  else,  and  declared  that  the 
nobles  mocked  the  people. 

On  going  home  I  found  that  Mr.  Goulden  had  set 
the  table,  and  while  we  were  eating  breakfast,  I  told 
him  what  I  thought.  He  listened  to  my  complaint 
and  laughed,  saying,  "  Take  care,  Joseph,  take  care ; 
you  seem  to  me  as  if  you  were  becoming  a  Jacobin." 

He  got  up  and  opened  the  closet,  and  I  thought  he 
was  going  to  take  out  a  bottle,  but,  instead,  he  hand- 
ed me  a  thick  square  envelope  with  a  big  red  seal. 

"  Here,  Joseph,"  said  he,  "  is  something  that  Briga- 
dier Werner  charged  me  to  give  you." 

I  felt  my  heart  jump  and  I  could  not  see  clearly. 

"  Why  don't  you  open  it  ?"  said  Father  Goulden. 

I  opened  it  and  tried  to  read,  but  had  to  take  a 
little  time.    At  last  I  cried  out,  "  It  is  the  permit." 

"  Do  you  believe  it  ?  "  said  he. 

"  Yes,  it  is  the  permit,"  I  said,  holding  it  at  arm's 
length. 

"  Ah !  that  rascal  of  a  minister,  he  has  sent  no  oth- 
ers," said  Father  Goulden. 

"  But,"  I  said,  "  I  know  nothing  of  politics,  since  the 
permit  has  come,  the  rest  does  not  concern  me." 

He  laughed  aloud,  saying,  "  Good,  Joseph,  good  !" 

I  saw  that  he  was  laughing  at  me,  but  I  did  not 
care. 


WATERLOO.  61 

"  We  must  let  Catherine  and  Aunt  Gredel  know 
immediately,"  I  cried  in  the  joy  of  my  heart ;  "  we 
must  send  Chaudron's  boy  right  away." 

"  Ha !  go  yourself,  that  will  be  better,"  said  the 
good  man. 

"  But  the  work,  Mr.  Goulden  ?" 

"  Pshaw !  pshaw !  at  a  time  like  this  one  forgets 
work  !  Go  !  child,  stir  yourself,  how  could  you  work 
now  ?     You  can  not  see  clearly." 

It  was  true  I  could  do  nothing.  I  was  so  happy 
that  I  cried,  I  embraced  Mr.  Goulden,  and  then 
without  taking  time  to  change  my  coat  I  set  off, 
and  was  so  absorbed  by  my  happiness,  that  I 
had  gone  far  beyond  the  German  gate,  the  bridge 
and  the  outworks  and  the  post  station,  and  it  was 
only  when  I  was  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the 
village  and  saw  the  chimney  and  the  little  windows 
that  I  recalled  it  all  like  a  dream,  and  commenced 
to  read  the  permit  again,  repeating,  "It  is  true, 
yes,  it  is  true ;  what  happiness  !  what  will  they  say  !" 

I  reached  the  house  and  pushed  open  the  door 
exclaiming,  "  The  permit !" 

Aunt  Gredel  in  her  sabots  was  just  sweeping  the 
jkitchen,  and  Catherine  was  coming  down  stairs  with 
her  arms  bare,  and  her  blue  kerchief  crossed  over  her 
breast ;   she  had  been  to  the  garret  for  chips,  and 


62  WATERLOO. 

both  of  them  on  seeing  me  and  hearing  me  cry, 
"  the  permit ! "  stood  stock  still.  But  I  repeated, 
"  the  permit !  "  and  Aunt  Gredel  threw  up  her  hands 
as  I  had  done,  exclaiming,  "  Long  live  the  King !" 

Catherine,  quite  pale,  was  leaning  against  the  side 
of  the  staircase  ;  I  was  at  her  side  in  an  instant  and 
embraced  her  so  heartily  that  she  leaned  on  my  shoul- 
der and  cried,  and  I  carried  her  down,  so  to  speak, 
while  aunt  danced  round  us,  exclaiming,  "  Long  live 
the  King  !  long  live  the  Minister  !" 

There  was  never  any  thing  like  it.  The  old  black- 
smith, Ruppert,  with  his  leather  apron  on  and  his 
shirt  open  at  the  throat,  came  in  to  ask  what  had 
happened. 

"  What  is  it,  neighbor  ? "  said  he,  as  he  held  his 
big  tongs  in  his  hands  and  opened  his  little  eyes  as 
wide  as  possible. 

This  calmed  us  a  little,  and  I  answered,  "  We  have 
received  our  permit  to  marry." 

"Ah,  that  is  it?  is  it?  now  I  understand,  I  un- 
derstand." 

He  had  left  the  door  open  and  five  or  six  other 
neighbors  came  in — Anna  Schmoutz,  the  spinner, 
Christopher  Wagner,  the  field  guard,  Zapheri  Gross, 
and  several  others,  till  the  room  was  full.  I  read  the 
permit  aloud ;   everybody  listened,  and  when  it  was 


WATERLOO.  63 

finished  Catherine  began  to   cry  again,  and  Aunt 
Gredel  said : 

"  Joseph,  that  minister  is  the  best  of  men.  If  ho 
were  here,  I  would  embrace  him  and  invite  him  to 
the  wedding  ;  he  should  have  the  place  of  honor  next 
Mr.  Goulden." 

Then  the  women  went  off  to  spread  the  news,  and 
I  commenced  my  declarations  anew  to  Catherine,  as 
if  the  old  ones  went  for  nothing ;  and  I  made  her 
repeat  a  thousand  times  that  she  had  never  loved 
any  one  but  me,  till  we  cried  and  laughed,  and 
laughed  and  cried,  one  after  the  other,  till  night. 
We  heard  Aunt  Gredel,  as  she  attended  to  the  cook- 
ing, talking  to  herself  and  saying,  "  That  is  what  I 
call  a  good  king ;"  or,  "  If  my  good  Franz  could 
come  back  to  the  earth  he  would  be  happy  to-day, 
but  one  can  not  have  every  thing."  She  said,  also,  that 
the  procession  had  done  us  good  ;  but  Catherine  and 
I  were  too  happy  to  answer  a  word.  We  dined,  and 
lunched,  and  took  supper  without  seeing  or  hearing  any 
hing,  and  it  was  nine  o'clock  when  I  suddenly  per' 
ceived  it  was  time  to  go  home.  Catherine  and  Aunt 
Gredel  and  I  went  out  together,  the  moon  was  shining 
brightly,  and  they  went  with  me  to  the  "  Roulette," 
and  while  on  the  way  we  agreed  that  the  marriage 
should  take  place  in  fifteen  days.  At  the  farm-house, 


64  WATERLOO. 

under  the  poplars,  aunt  kissed  me,  and  I  kissed 
Catherine,  and  then  watched  them  as  they  went  back 
to  the  village.  When  they  reached  home  they 
turned  and  kissed  their  hands  to  me,  and  then  I  came 
back  to  town,  crossed  the  great  square,  and  got 
home  about  ten  o'clock.  Mr.  Goulden  was  awake 
though  in  bed,  and  he, heard  me  open  the  door  softly. 
I  had  lighted  my  lamp  and  was  going  to  my  chamber, 
when  he  called,  "  Joseph !" 

I  went  to  him,  and  he  took  me  in  his  arms  and  we 
kissed  each  other,  and  he  said : 

"  It  is  well,  my  child  ;  you  are  happy,  and  you  de- 
serve to  be.  Now  go  to  bed,  and  to-morrow  we  will 
talk  about  it." 

I  went  to  bed,  but  it  was  long  before  I  could  sleep 
soundly.  I  wakened  every  moment,  thinking,  "  Is  it 
really  true  that  the  permit  has  come  ?"  Then  I 
would  say  to  myself,  "  Yes  ;  it  is  true."  But  toward 
morning  I  slept.  When  I  wakened  it  was  broad  day, 
and  I  jumped  out  of  bed  to  dress  myself,  when  Fa- 
ther Goulden  called  out,  as  happy  as  possible^ 
"  Come,  Joseph,  come  to  breakfast." 

"  Forgive  me,  Mr.  Goulden,"  I  replied ;  "  I  was  so 
happy  I  could  hardly  sleep." 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  heard  you,"  he  answered  and  we  went 
into  the  workshop,  where  the  table  was  already  laid 


WATERLOO.  tffi 


VI. 

After  the  t  oy  of  marrying  Catherine,  my  greatest 
delight  was  in  thinking  I  should  be  a  tradesman,  for 
there  was  a  great  difference  between  fighting  for  the 
king  of  Prussia  and  doing  business  on  one's  own  ac- 
count. Mr.  Goulden  had  told  me  he  would  take  me 
into  partnership  with  him,  and  I  imagined  myself 
taking  my  little  wife  to  mass  and  then  going  for 
a  walk  to  the  Roche-plate  or  to  Bonne-Fontaine. 
This  gave  me  great  pleasure.  In  the  mean  time  I 
went  every  day  to  see  Catherine ;  she  would  wait  for 
me  in  the  orchard,  while  Aunt  Gredel  prepared  the 
little  cakes  and  the  bride's  loaf  for  the  wedding. 
We  did  nothing  but  look  at  each  other  for  hours  to 
gether ;  she  was  so  fresh  and  joyous  and  grew  prettier 
every  day. 

Mr.  Goulden  would  say  on  seeing  me  come  home 
happier  every  night,  "  Well !  Joseph,  matters  seem  to 
be  better  than  when  we  were  at  Leipzig  I" 


66  WATERLOO. 

Sometimes  I  wanted  to  go  to  work  again,  but  he 
always  stopped  me  by  saying,  "  Oh !  pshaw  !  happy 
days  in  life  are  so  few.  Go  and  see  Catherine,  go  ! 
if  I  should  take  a  fancy  to  be  married  by  and  by 
you  can  work  for  us  both."  And  then  he  would 
laugh.  Such  men  as  he  ought  to  live  a  hundred 
years,  such  a  good  heart !  so  true  and  honest !  He 
was  a  real  father  to  us.  And  even  now,  after  so  many 
years,  when  I  think  of  him  with  his  black  silk  cap 
drawn  over  his  ears,  and  his  gray  beard  eight  days 
old,  and  the  little  wrinkles  about  his  eyes  showiDg  so 
much  good  humor,  it  seems  to  me  that  I  still  hear 
his  voice  and  the  tears  will  come  in  spite  of  me. 

But  I  must  tell  you  here  of  something  which  hap- 
pened before  the  wedding  and  which  I  shall  never 
forget.  It  was  the  6th  of  July  and  we  were  to  be 
married  on  the  8th.  I  had  dreamed  of  it  all  night. 
I  rose  between  six  and  seven.  Father  Goulden  was 
already  at  work,  with  the  windows  open.  I  was 
washing  my  face  and  thinking  I  would  run  over  to 
Quatre  Vents,  when  all  at  once  a  bugle  and  two  taps 
of  a  drum  were  heard  at  the  gate  of  France,  just 
as  when  a  regiment  arrives,  they  try  their  mouth 
pieces,  and  tap  their  drums  just  to  get  the  sticks  well 
in  hand.  When  I  heard  that  my  hair  stood  on  end, 
and  I  exclaimed,  "Mr.  Goulden,  it  is  the  Sixth  !  " 


WATERLOO.  67 

"Yes,  indeed,  for  eight  days  everybody  has  been 
talking  about  it,  but  you  hear  nothing  in  these  days. 
It  is  the  wedding  bouquet,  Joseph,  and  I  wanted  to 
surprise  you." 

I  listened  no  longer,  but  went  down-stairs  at  a 
jump.  Our  old  drummer  Padoue  had  already  lifted 
his  stick  under  the  dark  arch,  and  the  drummers  came 
up  behind  balancing  their  drums  on  their  hips ;  in 
the  distance  was  Gemeau,  the  commandant,  on  horse- 
back, the  red  plumes  of  the  grenadiers  and  the  bayo- 
nets came  up  slowly ;  it  was  the  Third  battalion. 
The  march  commenced,  and  my  blood  bounded.  I 
recognized  at  the  first  glance  the  long  gray  cloaks 
which  we  had  received  on  the  2 2d  of  October,  on  the 
glacis  at  Erfurth ;  they  had  become  quite  green  from 
the  snow  and  wind  and  rain.  It  was  worse  than  after 
the  battle  of  Leipzig.  The  old  shakos  were  full  of 
ball  holes,  onlv  the  fla^  was  new,  in  its  beautiful 
case  of  oil-cloth,  with  the  fleur-de-lis  at  the  end. 

Ah !  only  those  who  have  made  a  campaign  can 
realize  what  it  is  to  see  your  regiment  and  to  hear  the 
same  roll  of  the  drum  as  when  it  is  in  front  of  the 
enemy,  and  to  say  to  yourself,  "  There  are  your  com- 
rades, who  return  beaten,  humiliated,  and  crushed, 
bowing  their  heads  under  another  cockade."  No  !  1 
never  felt  any  thing  like  it.     Later  many  of  the  men 


68  WATERLOO. 

of  the  Sixth  came  and  settled  down  at  Pfalzbourg, 
they  were  my  old  officers,  old  sergeants,  and  were 
al  ways  welcome,  there  was  Lafleche,  Carabin,  Laver 
gne,  Monyot,  Padoue,  Chazi,  and  many  others.  Those 
who  commanded  me  during  the  war  sawed  wood  for 
me,  put  on  tiles,  were  my  carpenters  and  masons. 
After  giving  me  orders  they  obeyed  me,  for  I  was 
independent,  and  had  business,  while  they  were  simply 
laborers.  But  that  was  nothing,  and  I  always  treat- 
ed my  old  chiefs  with  respect,  I  always  thought,  "  at 
Weissenfels,  at  Lutzen,  and  at  Leipzig,  these  men  who 
now  are  forced  to  labor  so  hard  to  support  themselves 
and  their  families,  represented  at  the  front  the  honor 
and  the  courage  of  France.  These  changes  came 
after  Waterloo  !  and  our  old  Ensign  Faizart,  swept 
the  bridge  at  the  gate  of  France  for  fifteen  years ! 
That  is  not  right,  the  country  ought  to  be  more 
grateful. 

It  was  the  Third  battalion  that  returned,  in  so 
wretched  a  state  that  it  made  the  hearts  of  good  mei 
bleed.  Zebede  told  me  that  they  left  Versailles  01 
the  31st  of  March,  after  the  capitulation  of  Paris,  ant 
marched  to  Chartres,  to  Chateaudun,  to  Blois,  Orleans 
and  so  on  like  real  Bohemians,  for  six  weeks  without 
pay  or  equipments,  until  at  last  at  Rouen,  they  re« 
ceived  orders  to  cross  France  and  return  to  Pfalz- 


WATERLOO.  69 

bourg,  and  everywhere  the  processions  and  funeral 
services  for  the  king,  Louis  XVI.,  had  excited  the 
people  against  them.  They  were  obliged  to  bear  it 
all,  and  even  were  compelled  to  bivouac  in  the  fields 
while  the  Russians,  Austrians,  and  Prussians,  and 
other  beggars,  lived  quietly  in  our  towns. 

Zebede  wept  with  rage  as  he  recounted  their  suf- 
ferings afterward. 

"  Is  France  no  longer  France  ?"  he  asked.     "  Have 
we  not  fought  for  her  honor  ?" 

But  it  gives  me  pleasure  now  in  my  old  age,  to  re- 
member how  we  received  the  Sixth  at  Pfalzbourg. 
You  know  that  the  First  battalion  had  already  ar- 
rived from  Spain,  and  that  the  remnant  of  this  regi- 
ment and  of  the  24th  infantry  of  the  line  formed  the 
6  th  regiment  of  Berry,  so  that  all  the  village  was  re- 
joicing that  instead  of  the  few  old  veterans,  we  were 
to  have  two  thousand  men  in  garrison.  There  was 
great  rejoicing,  and  everybody  shouted,  "  Long  live 
the  Sixth ;"  the  children  ran  out  to  St.  Jean  to  meet 
them,  and  the  battalion  had  nowhere  been  better 
received  than  here.  Several  old  fellows  wept  and 
shouted,  "  Long  live  France."  But  in  spite  of  all 
that,  the  officers  were  dejected  and  only  made  signs 
with  their  hands  as  if  to  thank  the  people  for  theit 
kind  reception. 


TO  WATERLOO. 

I  stood  on  our  door-steps  while  three  c  r  four  nun 
dred  men  filed  past,  so  ragged  that  I  could  not  distin 
guish  our  number,  but  suddenly  I  saw  Zebede,  who 
was  marching  in  the  rear,  so  thin  that  his  long 
crooked  nose  stood  out  from  his  face  like  a  beak,  his 
old  cloak  hanging  like  fringe  down  his  back,  but  he 
had  his  sergeant's  stiipes,  and  his  large  bony  shoul- 
ders gave  him  the  appearance  of  strength.  On  see- 
ing him,  I  cried  out  so  loud  that  it  could  be  heard 
above  the  drums,  "  Zebede  !" 

He  turned  round  and  I  sprang  into  his  arms  and 
he  put  down  his  gun  at  the  corner  of  the  rue  Fou- 
quet.  I  cried  like  a  child  and  he  said,  "Ah  1  it  is  you, 
Joseph  !  there  are  two  of  us  left  then,  at  least." 

"  Yes,  it  is  I,"  said  I,  "  and  I  am  going  to  marry 
Catherine,  and  you  shall  be  my  best  man." 

We  marched  along  together  to  the  corner  of  the 
rue  Houte,  where  old  Furst  was  waiting  with  tears 
in  his  eyes.  The  poor  old  man  thought,  "  Perhaps  my 
son  will  come  too."  Seeing  Zebede  coming  with  me, 
he  turned  suddenly  into  the  little  dark  entrance  to 
his  house.  On  the  square,  Father  Klipfel  and  five  or 
six  others  were  looking  at  the  battalion  in  line.  It 
is  true  they  had  received  the  notices  of  the  deaths, 
but  still  they  thought  there  might  b6  mistakes,  and 
that  their  sons  did  not  like  to  write,     They  looked 


WATERLOO.  Tl 

amongst  them,  and  then  went  away  while  the  drums 
were  beating. 

They  called  the  roll,  and  just  at  that  moment  the 
Id  grave-digger  came  up  with  his  little  yellow  velvet 
vest  and  his  gray  cotton  cap.  He  looked  behind  the 
ranks  where  I  was  talking  with  Zebede  who  turned 
round  and  saw  him  and  grew  quite  pale,  they  looked 
at  each  other  for  an  instant,  then  I  took  his  gun  and 
the  old  man  embraced  his  son.  They  did  not  say  a 
vord,  but  remained  in  each  other's  arms  for  a  long 
while.  Then  when  the  battalion  filed  off  to  the  ristfit 
to  go  to  the  barracks,  Zebede  asked  permission  of 
Captain  Vidal  to  go  home  with  his  father,  and  gave 
his  gun  to  his  nearest  comrade.  We  went  together 
to  the  rue  de  Capucins.     The  old  man  said : 

"  You  know  that  grandmother  is  so  old  that  she 
can  no  longer  get  out  of  bed,  or  she  would  have  come 
to  meet  you  too." 

I  went  to  the  door,  and  then  said  to  them,  "  You 
will  come  and  dine  with  us,  both  of  you." 

"  I  will  with  pleasure,"  said  the  father.  "  Yes,  Jo 
seph,  we  will  come." 

I  went  home  to  tell  Father  Goulden  of  my  invita- 
tion, and  he  was  all  the  more  pleased  as  Catherine 
and  her  aunt  were  to  be  there  also. 

I  never  had  been  more  happy  than  when  th>  king 


72  WATERLOO. 

of  having  my  beloved,  my  best  friend,  and  all  those 
whom  I  loved  the  most,  together  at  our  house. 

That  day  at  eleven  o'clock  our  large  room  on  the  first 
floor  was  a  pretty  sight  to  see.  The  floor  had  been 
well  scrubbed,  the  round  table  in  the  middle  of  the 
room  was  covered  with  a  beautiful  cloth  with  red 
stripes  and  six  large  silver  covers  upon  it,  the  nap- 
kins folded  like  a  boat  in  the  shining  plates,  the 
salt-cellar  and  the  sealed  bottles,  and  the  large  cut 
glasses  sparking  in  the  sun  which  came  over  the 
groups  of  lilac  ranged  along  the  windows. 

Mr.  Goulden  wished  to  have  every  thing  in  abun- 
dance, grand  and  magnificent,  as  he  would  for  princes 
and  embassadors,  and  he  had  taken  his  silver  from 
the  basket,  a  most  unusual  thing ;  I  had  made  the 
soup  myself.  In  it  there  were  three  pounds  of  good 
meat,  a  head  of  cabbage,  carrots  in  abundance,  indeed 
every  thing  necessary ;  except  that, — which  you  can 
never  have  so  good  at  an  hotel, — every  thing  had 
been  crdeied  by  Mr.  Goulden  himself  from  the  "Ville 
de  Metz." 

About  noon  we  looked  at  each  other,  smiling  an 
rubbing  our  hands,  he  in  his  beautiful  nut-brown  coat, 
well  shtved,  and  with  his  great  peruke  a  little  rusty, 
in  place  of  his  old  black  silk  cap,  his  maroon  breechee 
neatly  turned  over  his  thick  woolen   stockings,  and 


WATERLOO.  73 

shoes  with  great  buckles  on  his  feet ;  while  I  had  on 
my  sky-blue  coat  of  the  latest  fashion,  my  shirt  finely 
plaited  in  front,  and  happiness  in  my  heart. 

All  that  was  lacking  now  was  our  guests — Cath- 
erine, Aunt  Gredel,  the  grave-digger,  and  Zebedo. 
We  walked  up  and  down  laughing  and  saying, 
"Every  thing  is  in  its  place  and  we  had  best  get 
out  the  soup-tureen."  And  I  looked  out  now  and 
then  to  see  if  they  were  coming. 

At  last  Aunt  Gredel  and  Catherine  turned  the  corner 
of  the  rue  Fouquet ;  they  came  from  mass  and  had 
their  prayer-books  under  their  arms,  and  farther  on 
I  saw  the  old  grave-digger  in  his  fine  coat  with  wide 
sleeves,  and  his  old  three-cornered  hat,  and  Zebede, 
who  had  put  on  a  clean  shirt  and  shaved  himself. 
They  came  from  the  side  next  the  ramparts  arm  in 
arm,  gravely,  like  men  who  are  sober  because  they  are 
perfectly  happy. 

"  Here  they  are,"  I  said  to  Father  Goulden. 

We  just  had  time  to  pour  out  the  soup  and  put  the 
big  tureen,  smoking  hot  in  the  middle  of  the  table. 
This  was  happily  accomplished  just  as  Aunt  Giedel 
and  Catherine  came  in.  You  can  judge  of  their  sur- 
prise on  seeing  the  beautiful  table.  We  had  hardly 
kissed  each  other  when  aunt  exclaimed : 

"  It  is  the  wedding-day  then,  Mr.  Goulden." 
4 


74  WATERLOO. 

"  Yes,  Madame  Gredel,"  the  good  man  answered 
smiling, — on  days  of  ceremony  he  always  called  her 
Madame  instead  of  Mother  Gredel,  "  yes,  the  wedding 
of  good  friends.  You  know  that  Zebede  has  just  re 
turned,  and  he  will  dine  with  us  to-day  with  the  old 
grave-digger." 

"  Ah ! "  said  aunt;  "  that  will  give  me  great  pleas* 
ure." 

Catherine  blushed  deeply,  and  said  to  me  in  a  low 
voice : 

"  Now  every  thing  is  as  it  should  be,  that  was  what 
we  wanted  to  make  us  perfectly  happy." 

She  looked  tenderly  at  me  as  she  held  my  hand. 
Just  then  some  one  opened  the  door,  and  old  Laurent 
from  the  "Ville  de  Metz,"  with  two  high  baskets 
in  which  dishes  were  ranged  in  beautiful  order  one 
above  the  other,  cried  out,  "  Mr.  Goulden,  here  is  the 
dinner !" 

"  Yery  well !"  said  Mr.  Goulden,  "  now  arrange  it 
on  the  table  yourself." 

And  Latirent  put  on  the  radishes  first,  the  fricasseed 
chicken  and  .beautiful  fat  goose  at  the  right,  and  on 
the  left  the  beef  which  we  had  ourselves  arranged 
with  parsley  in  the  plate.  He  put  on  also  a  nice  plate 
of  sour-kraut  with  little  sausages,  near  the  soup.  Such 
&  dinner  had  nevei  been  seen  in  our  house  before. 


WATERLOO.  75 

Just  at  that  moment  we  heard  Zebede  and  lis  fa- 
ther coming  up  the  stairs,  and  Father  Goulden  and  I 
ran  to  meet  them.  Mr.  Goulden  embraced  Zebede 
and  said : 

"  How  happy  I  am  to  see  you,  I  know  you  showed 
yourself  a  good  comrade  for  Joseph  in  the  midst  of 
the  greatest  danger." 

Then  he  shook  the  old  grave-digger's  hand,  saying, 
"  I  am  proud  of  you  for  having  such  a  son." 

Then  Catherine,  who  had  come  behind  us,  said  to 
Zebede: 

"  I  could  not  please  Joseph  more  than  to  embrace 
you,  you  would  have  carried  him  to  Hanau  only  your 
strength  failed.     I  look  upon  you  as  a  brother." 

Then  Zebede,  who  was  very  pale,  kissed  her  with- 
out saying  a  word,  and  we  all  went  into  the  room 
in  silence,  Catherine,  Zebede,  and  I  first,  Mr.  Goulden 
and  the  old  grave-digger  came  afterward.  Aunt 
Gredel  arranged  the  dishes  a  little  and  then  said : 

"  You  are  welcome,  you  are  welcome  !  you  who 
met  in  sorrow,  have  rejoined  each  other  in  joy.  May 
God  send  his  grace  on  us  all." 

Zebede  kissed  Aunt  Gredel  and  said,"  Always 
fresh  and  in  good  health,  it  is  a  pleasure  to  see  you." 

"  Come,  Father  Zebede,  sit  at  the  head  of  the  table, 
and  you  there,  Zebede,  that  I  may  have  you  on  my 


76  WATERLOO. 

right  and  my  left,  Joseph  will  sit  farther  down,  op 
posite  Catherine,  and  Madame  Gredel  at  the  other 
<end  to  watch  over  all." 

Each  one  was  satisfied  with  his  place,  and  Zebede 
smiled  and  looked  at  me  as  if  he  would  say :  "  If  we 
had  had  the  quarter  of  such  a  dinner  as  this  at  Hanau, 
we  should  never  haye  fallen  by  the  road-side."  Joy 
and  a  good  appetite  shone  on  every  face.  Father 
Gould  en  dipped  the  great  silver  ladle  into  the  soup 
as  we  all  looked  on,  and  served  first  the  old  grave- 
digger,  who  said  nothing  and  seemed  touched  by  this 
honor,  then  his  son,  and  then  Catherine,  Aunt  Gredel, 
himself,  and  me.    And  the  dinner  was  begun  quietly. 

Zebede  winked  and  looked  at  me  from  time  to  time 
with  great  satisfaction.  We  uncorked  the  first  bottle 
and  filled  the  glasses.  This  was  very  good  wine, 
but  there  was  better  coming,  so  we  did  not  drink  each 
other's  health  yet,  we  each  ate  a  good  slice  of  beef, 
and  Father  Goulden  said : 

"  Here  is  something  good,  this  beef  is  excellent." 
Ele  found  the  fricassee  very  good  also,  and  then  I  saw 
hat  Catherine  was  a  woman  of  spirit,  for  she  said : 

"  You  know,  Mr.  Zebede,  that  we  should  have  in- 
vited your  grandmother  Margaret,  whom  I  go  to  see 
from  time  to  time,  only  she  is  too  old  to  go  out,  but 
if  you  wish,  she  shall  at  least  eat  a  morsel  with  us, 


WATERLOO.  77 

and  drink  her  grandson's  health  in  a  glass  c  f  wine 
What  do  you  say,  Father  Zebede  ?" 

"I  was  lust  thinking  of  that,"  said  the  old  man. 

Father  Goulden  looked  at  Catherine  with  tears  in 
his  eyes,  and  as  she  rose  to  select  a  suitable  piece  for 
the  old  woman,  he  kissed  her,  and  I  heard  him  call 
her  his  daughter. 

She  went  out  with  a  bottle  and  a  plate ;  and  while 
she  was  gone  Zebede  said  to  me : 

"Joseph,  she  who  is  soon  to  be  your  wife  deserves 
to  be  perfectly  happy,  for  she  is  not  only  a  good  girl, 
not  only  a  woman  who  ought  to  be  loved,  but  she 
deserves  respect  also,  for  she  has  a  good  and  feeling 
heart.  She  saw  what  my  father  and  I  thought  of 
this  excellent  dinner,  and  she  knew  it  would  give  us 
a  thousand  times  more  pleasure  if  grandmother  could 
share  it.  I  shall  love  her  for  it,  as  if  she  were  my 
sister."  Then  he  added  in  a  low  voice :  "  It  is  when  we 
are  happy  that  we  feel  the  bitterness  of  poverty.  It 
is  not  enough  to  give  our  blood  to  our  country,  but 
there  is  suffering  at  home  in  consequence,  and  when 
we  return  we  must  have  misery  before  our  eyes." 

I  saw  that  he  was  growing  sad,  so  I  filled  his  glass 
and  we  drank,  and  his  melancholy  vanished.  Cath- 
erine came  back  and  said,  "the  grandmother  was 
very  happy,  and  that  she  thanked  Mr.  Goulden,  and 


78  WATERLOO. 

said  it  had  been  a  beautiful  day  for  her."  And  this 
roused  everybody.  As  the  dinner  continued,  Aunt 
Gredel  heard  the  bells  for  vespers,  and  she  went  out 
to  church,  but  Catherine  remained,  and  the  animation 
which  good  wine  inspires  had  come,  and  we  began  to 
speak  of  the  last  campaign ;  of  the  retreat  from  the 
Rhine  to  Paris,  of  the  fighting  of  the  battalion  at 
Bibelskirchen  and  at  Saarbruck,  where  Lieutenant 
Baubin  swam  the  Saar  when  it  was  freezing  as  hard 
as  stone,  to  destroy  some  boats  which  were  still  in 
the  hands  of  the  enemy ;  of  the  passage  at  Narbe- 
fontaine,  at  Courcelles,  at  Metz,  at  Enzelvin,  and  at 
Champion  and  Verdun,  and,  still  retreating,  the  bat- 
tle of  Brienne.  The  men  were  nearly  all  destroyed, 
but  on  the  4th  of  February  the  battalion  was  re-form- 
ed from  the  remnant  of  the  5th  light  infantry,  and 
from  that  moment  they  were  every  day  under  fire ; 
on  the  5th,  6th,  and  7th  at  Mery-sur-Seine ;  on  the  8th 
at  Sezanne,  where  the  soldiers  died  in  the  mud,  not 
having  strength  enough  to  get  out;  the  9th  and  10th 
at  Miirs^  where  Zebede  was  buried  at  night  in  the  dung- 
heap  of  a  farm-house  in  order  to  get  warm,  and  the 
terrible  battle  of  Marche  on  the  11th,  in  which  the 
Commandant  Philippe  was  wounded  by  a  bayonet 
thrust ;  the  encounter  on  the  1 2th  and  1 3th  at  Mont- 
mirail,  the  battle  of  Beauchamp  on  the  14th,  the  re 


WATERLOO.  79 

treat  on  Montmirail  on  the  15th  and  16th,  when  the 
Prussians  returned ;  the  combats  at  the  Ferte-Gauche, 
at  Jouarre,  at  Gue-a-Train,  at  ISTeufchettes,  and  so  on. 
When  the  Prussians  were  beaten,  then  came  the  Rus- 
sians, after  them  the  Austrians,  the  Bavarians,  the 
Wurtemburgers,  the  Hessians,  the  Saxons,  and  the 
Badois. 

I  have  often  heard  that  campaign  described,  but 
never  as  it  was  done  by  Zebede.  As  he  talked  his 
great  thin  face  quivered  and  his  long  nose  turned 
down  over  the  four  hairs  of  his  yellow  mustache,  and 
his  eyes  would  flash  and  he  would  stretch  out  his  hand 
from  his  old  sleeve  and  you  could  see  what  he  was 
describing.  The  great  plains  of  Champagne  with  the 
smoking  villages  to  the  right  and  to  the  left,  where 
the  women,  children,  and  old  men  were  wandering 
about  in  groups,  half  naked,  one  carrying  a  miserable 
old  mattress,  another  with  a  few  pieces  of  furniture  on 
his  cart,  while  the  snow  was  falling  from  the  sky,  and 
the  cannon  roared  in  the  distance,  and  the  Cossacks 
^  3re  flying  about  like  the  wind  with  kitchen  utensils 
and  even  old  clocks  hanging  to  their  saddles,  shout- 
ing hurrah !  \ 

Furious  battles  were  raging,  singly,  or  cue  against 
ten,  in  which  the  desperate  peasants  joined  also  with 
their  scythes.     At  night  the  Emperor  might  be  seen 


80  WATERLOO. 

sitting  astride  his  chair,  with  his  chin  resting  in  his 
folded  hands  on  the  back,  before  a  little  fire  with  his 
generals  around  him.  This  was  the  way  he  slept  and 
dreamed.  He  must  have  had  terrible  reflections  after 
the  days  of  Marengo,  Austerlitz,  and  Wag  ram. 

To  fight  the  enemy,  to  suffer  hunger  and  cold  and 
fatigue,  to  march  and  countermarch,  Zebede  said, 
were  nothing,  but  to  hear  the  women  and  children 
weeping  and  groaning  in  French  in  the  midst  of  their 
ruined  homes,  to  know  you  could  not  help  them,  and 
that  the  more  enemies  you  killed,  the  more  would  you 
have;  that  you  must  retreat,  always  retreat,  in  spite 
of  victories,  in  spite  of  courage,  in  spite  of  every 
thing !  "  that  is  what  breaks  your  heart,  Mr.  Goulden." 

In  listening  and  looking  at  him  we  had  lost  all  in- 
clination to  drink,  and  Father  Goulden,  with  his  great 
head  bent  down  as  if  thinking,  said  in  a  low  voice : 

"  Yes,  that  is  what  glory  costs,  it  is  not  enough  to 
lose  our  liberty,  not  enough  to  lose  the  rights  gained 
at  such  a  cost,  we  must  be  pillaged,  sacked,  burned, 
cut  to  pieces  by  Cossacks,  we  must  see  what  has 
not  been  seen  for  centuries,  a  horde  of  brigands 
making  law  for  us — but  go  on,  we  are  listening,  tell 
us  all." 

Catherine,  seeing  how  sad  we  were,  filled  the 
glasses. 


WATERLOO.  81 

"Come,"  said  she,  "to  the  health  of  Mr.  Goulden 
and  Father  Zebede.  All  these  misfortunes  are  past 
and  will  never  return." 

We  drank,  and  Zebede  related  how  it  had  beer 
accessary  to  fill  up  the  battalion  again,  on  the  route 
to  Soissons,  with  the  soldiers  of  the  1 6th  light  infan- 
try, and  how  they  arrived  at  Meaux  where  the  plague 
was  raging,  although  it  was  winter,  in  the  hospital 
of  Piete,  in  consequence  of  the  great  numbers  of 
wounded  who  could  not  be  cared  for. 

That  was  horrible,  but  the  worst  of  all  was  when 
he  described  their  arrival  at  Paris,  at  the  Barriere  de 
Charenton:  the  Empress,  King  Joseph,  the  King  of 
Rome,  the  ministers,  the  new  princes  and  dukes,  and 
all  the  great  world,  were  running  away  toward  Blois, 
and  abandoning  the  capital  to  the  enemy,  while  the 
working-men  in  blouses,  who  gained  nothing  from 
the  Empire,  but  to  be  forced  to  give  their  children  to 
defend  it,  were  gathered  around  the  town-house  bv 
thousands,  begging  for  arms  to  defend  the  honoi 
of  France;  and  the  Old  Guard  repulsed  them  with 
the  bayonet ! 

At  this  Father  Goulden  exclaimed. 

"That  is  enough,  Zebede,  hold!  stoptheie,  and  let 

us  talk  of  something  else." 

He  had  suddenly  grown  very  pale;  at  this  moment 
4* 


82  WATERLOO. 

Mother  Gredel  returned  from  vespers,  and  seeing;  us 
all  so  quiet,  and  Mr.  Goulden  so  disturbed,  asked : 

"  What  has  happened  ?" 

"We  were  speaking  of  the  Empress  and  of  the 
ministers  of  the  Emperor,"  replied  Father  Goulden, 
forcing  a  laugh. 

Said  she,  "  I  am  .not  astonished  that  the  wine  turns 
against  you.     Every  time  I  think  of  them,  if  by  acci 
dent  I  look  in  the  glass,  I  see  that  it  turns  me  quite 
livid.     The  beggars  !  fortunately,  they  are  gone." 

Zebede  did  not  like  this.  Mr.  Goulden  observed  it 
and  said,  "  Well !  France  is  a  great  and  glorious  coun- 
try all  the  same.  If  the  new  nobles  are  worth  no 
more  than  the  old  ones,  the  people  are  firm.  They 
work  in  vain  against  them.  The  bourgeois,  the  arti- 
san, and  the  peasant  are  united,  they  have  the  same 
interests  and  will  not  give  up  what  they  have  gained, 
nor  let  them  again  put  their  feet  on  their  necks. 
Now,  friends,  let  us  go  and  take  the  air,  it  is  late,  and 
Madame  Gredel  and  Catherine  have  a  long  way  to  g 
to  Quatre  Yents.     Joseph  will  go  with  them." 

"  No,"  said  Catherine,  "  Joseph  must  stay  with  his 
friend  to-day,  and  we  will  go  home  alone," 

"Very  well!  so  be  it!  on  a  day  like  this  friends 
should  be  together,"  said  Mr.  Goulden. 

We  went  out  arm  in  arm,  it  was  dark,  and  after 


WATERLOO.  S3 

embracing  Catherine  again  at  the  Place  <PArm.es  she 
and  her  aunt  took  their  way  home,  and  after  having 
taken  a  few  turns  under  the  great  lindens  we  went  to 
the  "  Wild  Man"  and  refreshed  ourselves  with  some 
glasses  of  foaming  beer  Mr.  Goulden  described  the 
siege,  the  attack  at  Pernette,  the  sorties  at  Bigelberg, 
at  the  barracks  above,  and  the  bombardment.  It  was 
then  that  I  learned  for  the  first  time  that  he  had  been 
captain  of  a  gun,  and  that  it  was  he  who  had  first 
thought  of  breaking  up  the  melting-pots  in  the  foun- 
dery  to  make  shot.  These  stories  occupied  us  till 
after  ten  o'clock.  At  last  Zebede  left  us  to  go  to  the 
Darracks,  the  old  grave-digger  went  to  the  rue  Ca- 
pucin,  and  we  to  our  beds,  where  we  slept  till  eight 
o'clock  the  next  morning. 


84  WATERLOO. 


VII. 

Two  days  afterward  I  was  married  to  Catherine 
at  Aunt  Gredel's  at  Quatre  Vents.  Mr.  Goulden 
represented  my  father.  Zebede  was  my  best  man, 
and  some  old  comrades  remaining  from  the  battalion 
were  also  at  the  wedding.  The  next  day  we  were 
installed  in  our  two  little  rooms  over  the  workshop 
at  Father  Goulden's,  Catherine  and  I.  Many  years 
have  rolled  away  since  then !  Mr.  Goulden,  Aunt 
Gredel,  and  the  old  comrades  have  all  passed  away; 
and  Catherine's  hair  is  as  white  as  snow!  Yet  often, 
even  now,  when  I  look  at  her,  those  times  come  back 
again,  and  I  see  her  as  she  was  at  twenty,  fresh  anc* 
rosy,  I  see  her  arrange  the  flower-pots  in  the  chambe 
window,  I  hear  her  singing  to  herself,  I  see  the  sun 
opposite,  and  then  we  descend  the  steep  little  stair- 
case and  say  together,  as  we  go  into  the  workshop : 
"  Good  morning,  Mr.  Goulden ;"  he  turns,  smiles,  and 


WATERLOO.  85 

answers,  "  Good  lnorniug,  my  children,  good  morn- 
ing !"  Then  he  kisses  Catherine  and  she  commences 
to  sweep  and  rub  the  furniture  and  prepare  the  soup, 
while  we  examine  the  work  we  have  to  do  during 
the  day. 

Ah,  those  beautiful  days,  that  charming  life !  What 
joy  in  being  young  and  in  having  a  simple,  good,  and 
industrious  wife !  How  our  hearts  rejoice,  and  the 
future  spreads  out  so  far — so  far — before  us  !  We 
shall  never  be  old ;  we  shall  always  love  each  other, 
and  always  keep  those  we  love  !  We  shall  always  be 
of  good  heart ;  we  shall  always  take  our  Sunday 
walk  arm  in  arm  to  Bonne-Fontaine ;  we  shall  always 
sit  on  the  moss  in  the  woods,  and  hear  the  bees  and 
May-bugs  buzzing  in  the  great  trees  filled  with  light ; 
we  shall  always  smile  !     What  a  life !  what  a  life  ! 

And  at  night  we  shall  go  softly  home  to  the  nest, 
as  we  silently  look  at  the  golden  trains  which  spread 
over  the  sky  from  Wecham  to  the  forests  of  Mittel- 
bronn,  we  shall  press  each  other's  hand  when  we  hear 
the  little  clock  at  Pfalzbourg  ring  out  the  "  Angelus," 
and  those  of  all  the  villages  will  respond  through  the 
twilight.     Oh,  youth  !  oh,  life  ! 

All  is  before  me  just  as  it  was  fifty  years  ago; 
but  other  sparrows  and  larks  sing  and  build  in 
the  spring,  other  blossoms  whiten  the  great  apple- 


86  WATERLOO. 

trees.  And  have  we  changed  too,  and  grown'  c.d 
like  the  old  people  of  those  days?  That  alone 
makes  me  believe  that  we  shall  become  young 
again,  that  we  shall  renew  our  loves  and  rejoin 
Father  Goulden  and  Aunt  Gredel  and  all  our  dear 
friends.  Otherwise  we  should  be  too  unhappy  in 
growing  old.  *  God  would  not  send  us  pain  without 
hope.  And  Catherine  believes  it  too.  Well!  at 
that  time  we  were  perfectly  happy,  every  thing 
was  beautiful  to  us,  nothing  troubled  our  joy. 

It  was  when  the  allies  were  passing  through 
our  city  by  hundreds  of  thousands  on  their  way 
home.  Cavalry,  artillery,  infantry,  foot  and  horse, 
with  oak  leaves  in  their  shakos,  on  their  caps, 
and  on  the  ends  of  their  muskets  and  lances. 
They  shouted  so  that  you  could  hear  them  a  league 
away.  Just  as  you  hear  the  chaffinches,  thrushes, 
and  blackbirds,  and  thousands  of  other  birds  in 
the  autumn.  At  any  other  time  this  would  have 
made  me  sad,  because  it  was  the  sign  of  our  de- 
feat, but  I  consoled  myself  by  thinking  that  they 
were  going  away,  never  to  return.  And  when 
Zebede  came  to  tell  me  that  every  day  the  Rus» 
siau,  Austrian,  Prussian,  and  Bavarian  officers  cross- 
ed the  city  to  visit  our  new  commandant,  Mons. 
de   la  Faisanderie,   who   was   an   old   emigre,   and 


WATERLOO.  81 

who  covered  them  with  honors — that  such  an  offi 
cer  of  the  battalion  had  provoked  one  of  these 
strangers,  and  that  such  another  half-pay  officei 
had  killed  two  or  three  in  duels  at  the  "Roulette," 

r  the  "  Green  Tree,"  or  the  "  Flower  Basket,' 
for  they  were  everywhere — our  soldiers  could  not 
bear  the  sight  of  the  foreigners,  there  were  fights 
everywhere,  and  the  litters  of  the  hospital  were 
constantly  going  and  coming — when  Zebede  told 
me  all  these  things,  and  when  he  said  that  so 
many  officers  had  been  put  upon  half-pay  in  order 
to  replace  them  by  officers  from  Coblentz,  and  that 
the  soldiers  were  to  be  compelled  to  go  to  mass 
in  full  uniform,  that  the  priests  were  everything  and 
epaulettes  nothing  any  more ;  instead  of  being  vexed, 
I  only  said,  "  Bah  !  all  these  things  will  get  settled 
by  and  by.  So  long  as  we  can  have  quiet,  and 
can  live  and  labor  in  peace,  we  will  be  satisfied." 
I   did   not  think  that  it  is  not  enough  that  one 

s  satisfied;  to  preserve  peace  and  tranquillity,  all 
must  be  so  likewise.  I  was  like  Aunt  Gredel,  who 
found  every  thing  right  now  that  Ave  were  mar 
ried.  She  came  very  often  to  see  us,  with  her 
basket  full  of  fresh  eggs,  fruits,  vegetables,  and 
cakes  for  our  housekeeping,  and  she  would  say : 
"  Oh !  Mr.  Goulden,  there  is  no  need  to  ask  if  the 


88  WATERLOO. 

children    are  well,  you  have  only  to    ook  at  theii 
laces." 

And  to  me  she  would  say:  "There  is  some  dif- 
ference, Joseph,  between  being  married,  and  trudg- 
ing along  under  a  knapsack  and  musket  at  Lutzen  I" 

"I  believe  you,  Mamma  Gredel,"  I  would  answer. 

Then  she  would  sit  down,  with  her  hands  on  hei 
knees,  and  say :  "  All  this  comes  from  peace ;  peace 
makes  everybody  happy,  and  to  think  of  that  mob 
of  barefoot  beggars  who  shout  against  the  king !" 

At  first  Mr.  Goulden,  who  was  at  work,  would  say 
nothing,  but  when  she  kept  on  he  would  say,  "  Com<% 
Mother  Gredel,  a  little  moderation,  you  know  that 
opinion  is  free  now,  we  have  two  chambers  and  con- 
stitution, and  each  one  has  a  voice." 

"  But  it  is  also  true,"  said  aunt  looking  at  me  ma- 
liciously, "  that  one  must  hold  his  tongue  from  time 
to  time,  and  that  shows  a  difference  too." 

Mr.  Goulden  never  went  farther  than  this,  for  he 
looked  upon  aunt  as  a  good  woman,  but  who  was  not 
worth  the  trouble  of  converting.  He  would  only 
laugh  when  she  went  too  far,  and  matters  went  on 
without  jarring  until  something  new  happened. 

At  first  there  was  an  order  from  Xancy  to  compel 
the  people  to  close  all  their  shutters  during  service 
on  Sunday — Jews,  Lutherans,  and  all.      There  was 


WATERLOO.  89 

no  more  noise  in  the  inns  and  wine-shops,  it  was  still  as 
deatji  in  the  city  during  mass  and  vespers.  The  people 
said  nothing,  but  looked  at  each  other  as  if  they  were 
afraid. 

The  first  Sunday  that  our  shutters  were  closed, 
Mr.  Goulden  seemed  very  sad,  and  said,  as  we  were 
dining  in  the  dark,  "I  had  hoped,  my  children,  that 
all  this  was  over,  and  that  people  would  have  common 
sense,  and  that  we  should  be  tranquil  for  years,  but 
unhappily  I  see  that  these  Bourbons  are  of  the  same 
race  as  Dagobert.     Affairs  are  growing  serious." 

He  did  not  say  any  thing  else  on  this  Sunday,  and 
went  out  in  the  afternoon  to  read  the  papers.  Every- 
body who  could  read  went,  while  the  peasants  were 
at  mass,  to  read  the  papers  after  shutting  their 
shops.  The  citizens  and  master-workmen  then  got 
in  the  habit  of  reading  the  papers,  and  a  little  later 
they  wanted  a  Casino.  I  remember  that  everybody 
talked  of  Benjamin  Constant  and  placed  great  confi- 
dence in  him  Mr.  Goulden  liked  him  very  much,  and 
as  he  was  accustomed  to  go  every  evening  to  Father 
Colin's,  to  read  of  what  had  taken  place,  we  also  heard 
the  news.  He  told  us  that  the  Duke  d'Angouleme 
was  at  Bordeaux,  the  Count  d'Artois  at  Marseilles, 
they  had  promised  this,  and  they  had  said  that. 

Catherine  was  more  curie  us  than  I,  she  liked  tc 


90  WATERLOO. 

hear  all  the  news  there  was  in  the  country,  and  when 
Mr.  Goullen  said  any  thing,  I  could  see  in  her  eyes 
that  she  thought  he  was  rio-ht.  One  evening;  he  said, 
M  The  Duke  de  Berry  is  coming  here." 

We  wei*e  greatly  astonished.  "  What  is  he  going 
to  do  here,  Mr.  Goulden  ?"  asked  Catherine. 

"  He  is  coming  to  review  the  regiment,"  he  ^nswei 
ed,  "  I  h?,ve  a  great  curiosity  to  see  him.  The  papers 
say  that  he  looks  like  Bonaparte,  but  that  he  has 
a  great  deal  more  mind.  It  is  not  astonishing 
for  if  a  legitimate  prince  had  no  more  sense  than 
the  son  of  a  peasant  it  would  be  a  great  pity.  But 
you  have  seen  Bonaparte,  Joseph,  and  you  can 
judge  of  the  matter." 

You  can  imagine  how  this  news  excited  the  coun- 
try.  From  that  day  nothing  was  thought  of  but 
erecting  triumphal  arches,  and  making  white  flags, 
and  the  people  from  all  the  villages  kept  coming  with 
their  carts  covered  with  garlands.  They  raised  a 
triumphal  arch  at  Pfalzbourg  and  another  near  Sa- 
verne.  Every  evening  after  supper  Catherine  and 
I  went  out  to  see  how  the  work  progressed.  It  was 
between  the  hotel  "  de  la  Ville  de  Metz"  and  the  shop 
cf  the  confectioner  Diirr,  right  across  the  street.  The 
old  carpenter  Ulrich  and  his  boys  built  it.  It  was 
like  a  great  gate  covered  with  garlands  of  oak  leaves 


WATERLOO.  91 

and  over  the  front  were  displayed  magnificent  white 
flags. 

While  they  were  doing  this,  Zebede  came  to  see  us 
several  times.  The  prince  was  to  come  from  Metz 
the  regiment  had  received  letters,  which  represented 
him  as  being  as  severe  as  if  he  had  gained  fifty  bat- 
tles. But  what  vexed  Zebede  most  was,  that  the 
prince  called  our  old  officers,  "  Soldiers  of  fortune." 

He  arrived  the  first  of  October,  at  six  in  the  even- 
ing, we  heard  the  cannon  when  he  was  at  Gerberhoff. 
He  alighted  at  the  "  Ville  de  Metz,"  without  going 
uuder  the  arch.  The  square  was  crowded  with 
officers  in  full  uniform,  and  from  all  the  windows  the 
people  shouted,  "  Long  live  the  King,  Long  live  the 
Duke  de  Berry,"  just  as  they  cried  in  the  time  o. 
Napoleon,  "  Long  live  the  Emperor." 

Mr.  Goulden  and  Catherine  and  I  could  not  get 
near  because  of  the  crowd,  and  we  only  saw  the  car- 
riages and  the  hussars  file  past.  A  picket  near  our 
house  cut  off  all  communication.  That  same  evening 
he  received  the  corps  of  officers  and  condescended  to 
accept  a  dinner  offered  to  him  by  the  Sixth,  but  he 
only  invited  Colonel  Zaepfel.  After  the  dinner,  from 
which  they  did  not  rise  till  ten  o'clock,  the  principal 
citizens  gave  a  ball  at  the  college.  All  the  officers 
and  all  the  friends  of  the  Bourbons  were  present  in 


92  WATERLOO. 

black  coats,  and  breeches  and  stockings  of  white 
silk,  to  meet  the  prince,  and  the  young  girls  of  good 
families  were  there  in  crowds,  dressed  in  white.  I 
still  seem  to  hear  the  horses  of  the  escort  as  they 
passed  in  the  middle  of  the  night  amid  the  thousands 
shouting  "  Yive  le  Rpi !  Yive  le  Due  de  Berry  !" 

All  the  windows  were  illuminated,  and  before  those 
of  the  commandant  there  was  a  great  shield  of  sky 
blue,  and  the  crown  and  the  three  fleur-de-lis  in 
gold,  sparkled  in  the  center.  The  great  hall  of  the 
college  echoed  with  the  music  of  the  regimental 
band. 

Mademoiselle  Bremer,  who  had  a  very  fine  voice, 
was  to  sing  the  air  of  "  Vive  Henri  IV."  before  the 
prince.  But  all  the  village  knew  the  next  day,  that 
she  had  been  so  confused  by  the  sight  of  the  prince, 
that  she  could  not  utter  a  word,  and  everybody  said, 
"Poor  Mademoiselle  Felicite,  poor  Mademoiselle 
Felicite." 

The  ball  lasted  all  night.  We— Mr.  Goulden,  Cath  - 
erine,  and  I — were  asleep,  when  about  three  in  the 
morning  we  were  wakened  by  the  hussars  going  by 
and  the  shouts  of  "Vive  le  Due  de  Berry."  These 
princes  must  have  excellent  health  to  be  able  to  go 
to  all  the  balls  and  dinners  which  are  offered  to  them 
on  their  journeys.     And  it  must  become  very  tire- 


WATERLOO.  93 

some  at  last  to  be  called  "  Your  Majesty,"  "  Your 
Excellence,"  "  Your  Goodness,"  and  "  Your  Justice," 
and  every  thing  else  that  can  be  thought  of,  that  is 
new  and  extraordinary,  in  order  to  make  them  be- 
lieve  that  the  people  adore  them  and  look  upon  them 
as  gods.  If  they  do  despise  the  men  at  last  it  is  not 
astonishing.  If  the  same  thing  were  done  to  us  we 
might  think  ourselves  eagles  too. 

What  I  have  told  you  is  exactly  the  truth.  I  have 
exaggerated  nothing. 

The  next  day  they  began  again  with  new  enthu- 
siasm. The  weather  was.  very  fine,  but  as  the  prince 
had  slept  badly,  and  the  children  who  wished  to  imi- 
tate the  court  without  succeeding,  annoyed  him,  and 
he  thought  perhaps,  that  they  had  not  done  him 
sufficient  honor  and  had  not  shouted  "  Vive  le  Roi, 
Vive  le  Due  de  Berry  "  loud  and  long  enough — for  all 
the  soldiers  kept  silent — he  was  in  a  very  bad 
humor. 

I  saw  him  very  well  that  day,  while  the  review  was 
taking  place — the  soldiers  occupied  the  sides  of  the 
square,  we  were  at  Wittman's,  the  leather  merchant, 
on  the  first  floor — and  also  during:  the  consecration 
of  the  flag  and  the  Te  Deum  at  the  church,  for  we 
had  the  fourth  pew  in  front  of  the  choir.  They  said 
he  looked  like  Napoleon,  but  it  was  not  true;  he  was 


94:  WATERLOO. 

a  good-looking  fat  fellow,  short  and  thick,  and  pale 
with  fatigue,  and  not  at  all  lively,  quite  the  con- 
trary. During  the  service  he  did  nothing  but  yawn 
nd  rock  back  and  forth  like  a  pendulum.  I  am  tell- 
.ng  you  what  I  saw  myself,  and  that  shows  how 
blind  people  are,  they  want  to  find  resemblances 
everywhere. 

During  the  review,  too,  I  remembered  that  the  Em- 
peror always  came  on  horseback,  and  so  would  dis- 
cover at  a  glance  if  every  thing  was  in  order ;  instead 
of  this,  the  duke  came  along  the  ranks  on  foot,  and 
two  or  three  times  he  found  fault  with  old  soldiers, 
examining  them  from  head  to  foot.  That  was  the 
worst.  Zebede  was  one  of  these  men,  and  he  never 
could  forgive  him. 

That  was  well  enough  for  the  review,  but  a  more 
serious  thine:  was  the  distribution  of  the  crosses  and 
the  fleur-de-lis.  When  I  tell  you  that  all  the  may- 
ors and  their  assistants,  the  councilors  from  the 
Baraques-d'en-Haut  and  the  Baraques-du-bois-de- 
chenes,  from  Holderloch  and  Hirschland,  received 
the  fleur-de-lis  because  they  headed  their  village 
deputations  with  a  white  flag,  and  that  Pinacle  re- 
ceived the  cross  of  honor,  for  having  arrived  first 
with  the  band  of  the  Bohemian,  Waldteufel,  who 
played  "Vive  Henri  IV.,"  and  had  five  or  six  white 


WATERLOO.  95 

flags  larger  than  the  others ;  when  1  tell  you  that, 
you  will  understand  what  reasonable  people  thought. 
It  was  a  real  scandal ! 

In  the  afternoon  about  four  o'clock,  the  prince  left 
for  Strasbourg,  accompanied  by  all  the  royalists  in 
the  country  on  horseback,  some  on  good  mounts,  and 
others,  like  Pinacle,  on  old  hacks. 

One  event  the  Pfalzbourgers  of  that  day  remem- 
ber until  this,  and  that  is,  that  after  the  prince  was 
seated  in  his  carriage  and  was  driving  slowly  away, 
one  of  the  emigre  officers  with  his  head  uncovered 
and  in  uniform,  ran  after  him,  crying  in  a  pitiful 
voice,  "  Bread,  my  prince,  bread  for  my  children  !" 
That  made  the  people  blush,  and  they  ran  away  for 
shame. 

We  went  home  in  silence,  Father  Goulden  was 
lost  in  thought,  when  Aunt  Gredel  arrived. 

"  Well !  Mother  Gredel,  you  ought  to  be  satis- 
fied," said  he. 

"  And  why  ?" 

"Because  Pinacle  has  been  decorated." 

She  turned  quite  livid,  and  said  after  a  minute  : 

u  That  is  the  greatest  trumpery  that  ever  was  seen. 
If  the  prince  had  known  what  he  is,  he  would  have 
hum*  him  rather  than  decorate  him  with  the  cross,  of 
honor." 


96  WATERLOO. 

"  That  is  just  the  trouble,"  said  Mr.  Goulden5 
"  those  people  do  many  such  things  without  knowing 
it,  and  when  they  do  know,  it  is  too  late  " 


WATERLOO,  97 


VIII. 

So  it  was  that  Monseigneur  the  Duke  de  Berry, 
visited  the  departments  of  the  East.  Every  word 
he  uttered  was  taken  up  and  repeated  again  and 
again.  Some  praised  his  exceeding  graciousness,  and 
others  kept  silence.  From  that  time  I  suspected  that 
all  these  emigres  and  officers  on  half-pay,  these 
preachers  with  their  processions  and  their  expiations, 
would  overturn  every  thing  again,  and  about  the  be- 
ginning of  winter  we  heard  that  not  only  with  us, 
but  all  over  Alsace  affairs  were  growing  worse  and 
tforse  in  just  the  same  way. 

One  morning  between  eleven  and  twelve  Father 

Goulden  and  I  were  both  at  work,  each  one  thinking 

after  his  own  fashion,  and  Catherine  was  laying  the 

cloth.     I  started  to  go  out  to  wash  my  hands  at  the 

pump,  as  I  always  did  before  dinner,  when  I  saw  an 

old  woman  wiping  her  feet  on  the  straw  mat  at  the 
5 


98  WATERLOO. 

foot  of  the  stairs  and  shaking  her  skirts  which  were 
covered  with  mud.  She  had  a  stout  staff,  and  a  large 
rosary  hung  from  her  neck.  As  I  looked  at  her 
from  the  top  of  the  stairs,  she  began  to  come  up  and 
I  recognized  her  immediately  by  the  folds  about  her 
eyes  and  the  innumerable  wrinkles  round  her  little 
mouth,  as  Anna-Marie,  the  pilgrim  of  St.  Witt.  The 
poor  old  woman  often  brought  us  watches  to  menu, 
from  pious  people  who  had  confidence  in  her,  and 
Mr.  Goulden  was  always  delighted  to  see  her, 

"Ah!"  he  exclaimed,  "it  is  Anna-Marie !  now  we 
shall  have  the  news.  And  how  is  Mr.  Such-an-one, 
the  priest  ?  How  is  the  Vicar  so-and-so  ?  Does  he 
still  look  as  well  as  ever  ?  and  Mr.  Jacob,  of  such  a 
place.  And  the  old  sexton,  Niclausse,  does  he  still 
ring  the  bells  at  Dann,  and  at  Hirschland,  and  Saint 
Jean  ?     He  must  begin  to  look  old  ?" 

"  Ah !  Mr.  Goulden,  thanks  for  Mr.  Jacob,  you 
know  that  he  lost  Mademoiselle  Christine  last  week." 

"  What !  Mademoiselle  Christine  ?" 

"  Yes,  indeed  ?" 

"  What  a  misfortune  !  but  we  must  remember  that 
we  are  all  mortal !" 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Goulden,  and  when  one  is  so  fortunate 
as  to  receive  the  holy  consolations  of  the  Church." 

"  Certainly — certainly,  that  is  the  principal  thing." 


■i^-s,.-      .  .j 


ffliWBlllll 


"ah!    it  is  anna-marie. 


WATERLOO.  99 

So  they  talked  on,  Father  Goulden  laughing  in  his 
sleeve.  She  knew  every  thing  that  happened  within 
six  leagues  round  the  city.  He  looked  mischievously 
at  me  from  time  to  time.  This  same  thing  had  hap- 
pened a  hundred  times  during  my  apprenticeship, 
but  you  will  understand  how  much  more  curious 
he  was  now  to  learn  all  that  was  going  on  in  the 
country. 

"Ah  !  it  is  really  Anna-Marie  !"  said  he  rising,  "  it 
is  a  long  time  since  we  have  seen  you." 

"  Three  months,  Mr.  Gouiden,  three  long  months. 
I  have  made  pilgrimages  to  Saint  Witt,  to  Saint 
Odille,  to  Marienthal,  to  Hazlach,  and  I  have  vows 
for  all  the  saints  in  Alsace,  in  Lorraine,  and  in  the 
Yosges.  But  now  I  have  nearly  finished,  only  Saint 
Quirin  remains." 

"  Ah !  so  much  the  better,  your  affairs  go  on  well, 
and  that  gives  me  pleasure.  Sit  down,  Anna-Marie, 
sit  down  and  rest  yourself." 

I  saw  in  his  eyes  how  happy  he  was  to  have  her 
unroll  her  budget  of  news.  But  it  appearec1  she  had 
Hher  matters  to  attend  to. 

"  Oh  !  Mr.  Goulden  "  said  she.  "  I  can  not  to-day. 
Others  are  before  me,  Mother  Evig,  Gaspard  Rosen- 
kranz,  and  Jacob  Heilig.  I  must  go  to  Saint  Quirin, 
to-night.    I  only  just  came  in  to  tell  you  that  the  clock 


100  WATERLOO. 

at  Dosenheim  is  out  of  order,  and  that  they  are  ex 
pecting  you  to  repair  it." 

"  Pshaw !  pshaw !  stay  a  moment."  I 

"  No,  I  can  not,  I  am  very  sorry,  Mr.  Goulden,  bul 
I  must  finish  my  round." 

She  had  already  taken  up  her  bundle,  and  Mr. 
Goulden  seemed  greatly  disappointed ;  when  Catherine 
put  a  great  dish  of  cabbage  on  the  table,  and  said, 
"  What !  are  you  going  Anna-Marie  ?  you  can  not 
think  of  it !  here  is  your  plate  !" 

She  turned  her  head  and  saw  the  smoking  soup 
and  the  cabbage,  which  exhaled  a  most  delicious 
odor. 

"  I  am  in  a  great  hurry,"  said  she. 

"  Oh !  pshaw !  you  have  very  good  legs,"  said 
Catherine,  glancing  at  Mr.  Goulden. 

"  Yes,  thank  God,  they  are  very  good  still." 

"  "Well,  sit  down  then  and  refresh  yourself.  It  is 
hard  work  to  be  always  walking." 

"  Yes,  indeed,  Madame  Bertha,  one  earns  the 
thirty  sous  that  one  gets." 

I  placed  the  chairs. 

"  Sit  down,  Anna-Marie,  and  give  me  your  stick," 

"Well,  I  must  listen  to  you,  I  suppose,  but  I  cau 
not  stay  long,  I  will  only  take  a  mouthful  and  theo 
go." 


WATERLOO.  101 

"Yes,  yes,  that  is  settled  Anna- Marie,"  said  Mr 
Goulden ;  "  we  will  not  hinder  you  long." 

We  sat  down,  and  Mr.  Goulden  served  us  at  once. 
Catherine  looked  at  me  and  smiled,  and  I  said  t 
myself,  "  Women  are  more  ingenious  than  we,"  and 
I  was  very  happy.  What  more  could  a  man  wish  for 
than  to  have  a  wife  with  sense  and  spirit  ?  It  is  a 
real  treasure,  and  I  have  often  seen  that  men  are 
happy  when  they  allow  themselves  to  be  guided  by 
such  a  woman.  You  can  easily  believe  that  when 
once  seated  at  the  table  near  the  fire,  instead  of  be- 
ing out  in  the  mud,  with  the  sharp  November  wind 
whistling  in  her  thin  skirts,  she  no  longer  thought 
of  her  journey.  She  was  a  good  creature  sixty  years 
old,  who  still  supported  two  children  of  her  son  who 
died  some  years  before.  To  travel  round  the  country 
at  that  age,  with  the  sun  and  rain  and  snow  on  your 
back,  to  sleep  in  barns  and  stables  on  straw,  and 
three-quarters  of  the  time  have  only  potatoes  to  eat 
and  not  enough  of  them,  does  not  make  one  despise 
a  plate  of  good  hot  soup,  a  piece  of  smoked  bacon 
and  cabbage,  with  two  or  three  glasses  of  wine  to 
warm  the  heart.  No,  you  must  look  at  things  as 
they  are,  the  life  of  these  poor  people  is  very  hard, 
every  one  would  do  well  to  try  a  pilgrimage  on  his 
own  account. 


102  WATERLOO. 

Anna-Marie  understood  the  difference  between  be. 
ing  at  table  and  on  the  road,  she  ate  with  a  gocd 
appetite,  and  she  took  real  pleasure  in  telling  us  what 
she  had  seen  during  her  last  round. 

"  Yes,"  said  she, "  every  thing  is  going  on  well  now. 
All  the  p  rocessions  and  expiations  which  you  have 
seen  are  nothing,  ,they  will  grow  larger  and  more 
imposing  from  day  to  day.  And  you  know  there  are 
missionaries  coming  among  us,  as  they  used  to  do 
among  the  savages,  to  convert  us.  They  are  coming 
from  Mr.  de  Forbin-Janson  and  Mr.  de  Ranzan,  be- 
cause the  corruption  of  the  times  is  so  great.  And 
the  convents  are  to  be  rebuilt,  and  the  gates  along  the 
roads  restored,  as  they  were  before  the  twenty-five 
years'  rebellion.  And  when  the  pilgrims  arrive  at  the 
convents,  they  will  only  have  to  ring  and  they  will 
be  admitted  at  once,  when  the  brothers  who  serve, 
will  bring  them  porringers  of  rich  soup  with  meat 
on  ordinary  days,  and  vegetable  soup  with  fish  on 
Fridays  and  Saturdays  and  during  Lent.  In  that 
way  piety  will  increase,  and  everybody  will  make 
pilgrimages.  But  the  pious  women  of  Bischoffsheim 
6ay,  that  only  those  who  have  been  pilgrims  from 
father  to  son,  like  us,  ought  to  go;  that  each  one 
ought  to  attend  to  his  work,  that  the  peasants  should 
belong  to  the  soil,  and  that  the  lords  should  have 


WATERLOO.  103 

their  chateaux  again,  and  govern  them.  I  heard  this 
with  my  own  ears  from  these  pious  women,  who  are 
to  have  their  properties  again  because  they  have 
returned  from  exile,  and  that  they  must  have  theii 
estates  in  order  to  build  their  chapels  is  very  cer- 
tain. Oh!  if  that  were  only  done  now,  so  I  could 
profit  by  it  in  my  old  age !  I  have  fasted  long 
enough,  and  my  little  grandchildren  also.  I  would 
take  them  with  me,  and  the  priests  would  teach  them, 
and  when  I  die  I  should  have  the  consolation  of  seeing 
them  in  a  good  way." 

On  hearing  her  recount  all  these  things  so  contra- 
ry to  reason  we  were  much  moved,  for  she  wept  as 
she  imagined  her  little  girls  begging  at  the  door  of 
the  convent  and  the  brother  bringing  them  soup. 

"  And  you  know,  too,  that  Mr.  de  Ranzan  and  the 
reverend  Father  Tarin  want  the  chateaux  rebuilt,  and 
the  woods  and  meadows  and  fields  given  up  to  the 
nobles,  and  in  the  mean  time  that  the  ponds  are  to 
be  put  in  good  condition,  because  they  belong  to  the 
reverend  fathers,  who  have  no  time  to  plow  or  sow 
01  reap.     Every  thing  must  come  to  t':  em  of  itself." 

"  But  tell  us,  Anna-Marie,  is  all  this  quite  certain  ? 
I  can  hardly  believe  that  such  great  happiness  is  iD 
store  for  us." 

"  It  is  quite  certain,  Mr.  Goulden.    The  Count  d'Ar- 


104:  WATERLOO. 

tois  wishes  to  secure  Lis  salvation,  and  in  order  to  dc 
that  every  thing  must  be  set  in  order.  Mons.  le 
Vicar  Antoine  of  Marienthal  said  the  same  things  last 
week.  They  come  from  above, — these  things, — aid 
the  hearts  of  the  people  must  be  accustomed  to  them 
by  the  sermons  and  expiations.  Those  who  will  not 
submit,  like  the  Jews  and  Lutherans,  will  be  forced  to 
do  so,  and  the  Jacobins" — in  speaking  of  the  Jaco- 
bins Anna-Marie  looked  suddenly  at  Mr.  Goulden 
and  blushed  up  to  her  ears,  for  he  was  smiling. 

But  she  recovered  herself,  and  went  on : 

"  Among  the  Jacobins  there  are  some  very  good 
people,  but  the  poor  must  live.  The  Jacobins  have 
taken  the  property  of  the  poor  and  that  is  not  right." 

"  When  and  where  have  they  taken  the  property 
of  the  poor." 

"  Listen,  Mr.  Goulden,  the  monks  and  the  Capuchins 
had  th#  estates  of  the  poor,  and  the  Jacobins  have 
divided  them  amongst  themselves." 

"  Ah  !  I  understand,  I  understand,  the  monks  and 
Capuchins  had  your  property,  Anna-Marie ;  I  neve 
should  have  guessed  that." 

Mr.  Goulden  was  all  the  time  in  good  humor,  and 
Anna-Marie  said : 

"  TV*e  shall  be  in  accord  at  last." 

"  Oh  !  yes,  we  are,  we  are,"  said  he  pleasantly. 


WATERLOO,  105 

I  listened  without  saying  any  thing,  as  I  was 
naturally  curious  to  hear  what  was  coming,  [t  was 
easy  to  see  that  this  was  what  she  had  heard  on  her 
last  journey. 

She  said  also  that  miracles  were  coming  as:ain  and 
that  Saint  Quirin,  Saint  Odile,  and  the  others  would 
not  work  miracles  under  the  usurper,  but  that  they 
had  commenced  already ;  that  the  little  black  St. 
John  at  Kortzeroth,  on  seeing  the  ancient  prior  return 
had  shed  tears. 

"Yes,  yes, I  understand,"  said  Mr.  Goulden,  "that 
does  not  astonish  me  in  the  least,  after  all  these 
processions  and  atonements  the  saints  must  work 
miracles ;  and  it  is  natural,  Anna-Marie,  quite  nat- 
ural." 

"  Without  doubt,  Mr.  Goulden,  and  when  we  see 
miracles,  faith  will  return.  That  is  clear,  that  is 
certain." 

The  dinner  was  finished,  and  Anna-Marie  seeing 
that  nothing  more  was  coming,  remembered  that  she 
was  late,  and  exclaimed : 

"  Oh !  Lord,  that  is  one  o'clock  striking.  The 
others  must  be  near  Ercheviller ;  now  I  must  leave 
you." 

She  rose  and  took  her  stick  with  a  very  important 

air. 

5* 


106  WATERLOO. 

"  Well !  bon  voyage,  Anna-Marie,  don't  make  us 
wait  so  long  next  time." 

"  Ah !  Mr.  Goulden,  if  I  do  not  sit  every  day  a* 
your  table  it  is  not  my  fault." 

She  laughed,  and  as  she  took  up  her  bundle  she 
said: 

"  Well,  good-bye,  and  for  the  kindness  you  have 
shown  me  I  will  pray  the  blessed  Saint  Quirin  to  send 
you  a  fine  fat  boy  as  fresh  and  rosy  as  a  lady-apple. 
That  is  the  best  thing,  Madame  Bertha,  that  an  old 
woman  like  me  can  do  for  you." 

On  hearing  these  good  wishes,  I  said.  "  That  old 
woman  is  a  good  soul.  There  is  nothing  I  so  much 
wish  for  in  the  world.  May  God  hear  her  prayer !" 
I  was  touched  by  that  good  wish. 

She  went  down-stairs,  and  as  she  shut  the  door, 
Catherine  began  to  laugh,  and  said  : 

"  She  emptied  her  budget  this  time." 

"  Yes,  my  children,"  replied  Mr.  Goulden,  who  was 
quite  grave,  "  that  is  what  we  may  call  human  ignor- 
ance. You  would  believe  that  poor  creature  had  in- 
vented all  that,  but  she  has  picked  it  up  right  and 
left,  it  is  word  for  word  what  those  emigres  think, 
and  what  they  repeat  every  day  in  their  journals,  and 
what  the  preachers  say  every  day  openly  in  all  the 
churches.     Louis  XVIII.  troubles  them,  he  lias  too 


WATERLOO.  107 

much  good  sense  for  them,  but  the  real  king  is  Mon- 
seigneur  the  Duke  d'Artois,  who  wants  to  secure  his 
salvation,  and  in  order  that  this  may  be  done  every 
thing  must  be  put  back  where  it  was  before  the  '  re- 
bellion of  twenty-five  years,'     and   all  the  nationa 
property  must  be  given  up  to  its  ancient  owners,  ana 
the  nobles  must  have  their  rights  and  privileges  as  in 
1788  ;  they  must  occupy  all  the  grades  of  the  army, 
and  the  Catholic  religion  must  be  the  only  religion 
in  the  state.     The  Sabbath  and  fete  days  must  be 
observed,  and  heretics  driven  from  all  the  offices,  and 
the  priests  alone  have  the  right  to  instruct  the  chil- 
dren of  the  people,  and  this  great  and  terrible  country, 
which  carried  its  ideas  of  Liberty,  Equality,  and  Fra- 
ternity everywhere  by  means  of  its  good   sense  and 
its  victories,  and  which  never  would  have  been  van- 
quished if  the  Emperor  had  not  made  an  alliance  witn 
the  kings  at  Tilsit,  this  nation,  which  in  a  few  years 
produced  so  many  more  great  captains  and  orators, 
learned  men  and  geniuses  of  all  kinds,  than  the  noble 
races   produced  in  a  thousand  years,  must  surrender 
every  thing  and  go  back  to  tilling  the  earth,  while 
the  others,  who  are  not  one  in  a  thousand,  will  go  on 
from  father  to  son,  taking  every  thing  and  gladden- 
ing their  hearts  at  the  expense  of  the  people  !     Oh  ! 
no  doubt  the    fields    and  meadows  and  p'L  Is    wil* 


108  WATERLOO. 

be  given  up  as  Anna-Marie  said,  and  that  the  con 
vents  will  be  rebuilt  in  order  to  please  Mons.  le 
cointe  d'Artois  and  help  him  to  gain  his  salvation 
— that  is  the  least  the  country  could  do  for  so  great 
a  prince !" 

Then  Father  Goulden,  joining  his  hands,  looked  up- 
ward saying : 

"Lord  God, Lord  God,  who  hast  wrought  so  many 
miracles  by  the  little  black  St.  John  of  Kortzeroth,  if 
thou  wouldst  permit  even  a  single  ray  of  reason  to 
enter  the  heads  of  Monseigneur  and  his  friends,  I  be- 
lieve it  would  be  more  beautiful  than  the  tears  of  the 
little  saint !  And  that  other  one  on  his  island,  with 
his  clear  eyes  like  the  sparrow-hawk  who  pretends 
to  sleep  as  he  watches  the  unconscious  geese  in  a 
pool, — O  Lord,  a  few  strokes  of  his  wing  and  he  is 
upon  them,  the  birds  may  escape,  while  we  shall  have 
all  Europe  at  our  heels  again  !" 

He  said  all  this  very  gravely,  and  I  looked  at  Cath 
erine  to  know  whether  I  should  laugh  or  cry. 

Suddenly  he  sat  down,  saying : 

"  Come  !  Joseph,  this  is  not  at  all  cheerful,  but  what 
an  we  do  ?     It  is  time  to  be  at  work.     Look,  and 
see  what  is  the  matter  with  Mr.  Jacob's  watch." 

Catherine  took  off  the  cloth,  and  eacr  one  went  tc 
his  work. 


WATERLOO,  109 


IX. 

It  was  winter.  Rain  fell  constantly,  mingled  with 
snow.  There  were  no  gutters,  and  the  wind  blew  the 
rain  as  it  fell  from  the  tiles  quite  into  the  middle  of 
the  street.  "We  could  hear  it  pattering  all  day  while 
Catherine  was  running  about,  watching  the  fire,  and 
lifting  the  covers  of  the  saucepans,  and  sometimes 
singing  quietly  to  herself  as  she  sat  down  to  her  spin- 
ning. Father  Goulden  and  I  were  so  accustomed  to 
this  kind  of  life  that  we  worked  on  without  thinking. 
We  troubled  ourselves  about  nothing,  the  table  was 
laid  and  the  dinner  served  exactly  on  the  stroke  of 
noon.  At  night  Mr.  Goulden  went  out  after  supper 
to  read  the  gazette  at  Hoffman's,  with  his  old  cloak 
wrapped  closely  round  his  shoulders  and  his  big  fox- 
skin  cap  pulled  down  over  his  neck. 

But  in  spite  of  that,  often  when  he  came  in  at  ten, 
o'clock,  after  we  had  gone    to  bed,    we  heard  hi'.r 


110  WATERLOO. 

cough ;  he  had  dampened  his  feet.  Then  Catherine 
would  say,  "  He  is  coughing  again,  he  thinks  he  ig 
as  young  as  he  was  at  twenty,"  and  io  the  morning 
she  did  not  hesitate  to  reproach  him. 

"Monsieur  Goulden,"  she  would  say,  "  you  are  not 
reasonable ;  you  have  an  ugly  cold,  and  yet  you  go 
out  every  evening.". 

"  Ah !  my  child,  what  would  you  have.  I  have 
got  the  habit  of  reading  the  gazette,  and  it  is  stronger 
than  I.  I  want  to  know  what  Benjamin  Constant 
and  the  rest  of  them  say,  it  is  like  a  second  life  to  me 
and  I  often  think  "  they  ought  to  have  spoken  further 
of  such  or  such  a  thing.  If  Melchior  Goulden  had 
been  there  he  would  have  opposed  this  or  that,  and  it 
would  not  have  failed  to  produce  a  great  effect." 

Then  he  would  lausfh  and  shake  his  head  and 
say: 

"  Every  one  thinks  he  has  more  wit  and  good  sense 
than  the  others,  but  Benjamin  Constant  always 
pleases  me." 

We  could  say  nothing  more,  his  desire  to  read  the 
gazette  was  so  great.     One  day  Catherine  said  t 
him : 

"  If  you  wish  to  hear  the  news,  that  is  no  reason 
why  you  should  make  yourself  sick,  you  have  only  tc 
do  as  the  old  carpenter  Carabin  does,  he  arranged  last 


WATERLOO.  Ill 

vreek.  with  Father  Hoffman,  and  he  sends  him  the  jour- 
nal every  night  at  seven  o'clock,  after  the  others  have 
read  it,  for  which  he  pays  him  three  francs  a  month. 
In  this  way,  without  any  trouble  to  himself,  Carabin 
knows  every  thing  that  goes  on,  and  his  wife,  old 
Bevel,  also ;  they  sit  by  the  fire  and  talk  about  all 
these  things  and  discuss  them  together,  and  that  is 
what  you  should  do." 

"  Ah !  Catherine,  that  is  an  excellent  idea,  but — 
the  three  francs  ?" 

"  The  three  francs  are  nothing,"  said  I,  "  the  prin- 
cipal thing  is  not  to  be  sick,  you  cough. very  badly 
and  that  can  not  go  on." 

These  words,  far  from  offending,  pleased  him,  as 
they  proved  our  affection  for  him  and  that  he  ought 
to  listen  to  us. 

"  Very  well !  we  will  try  to  arrange  it  as  you  wish, 
Mid  the  rather  as  the  cafe  is  filled  with  half-pay  offi- 
cers from  morning  till  night,  and  they  pass  the  jour- 
nals from  one  to  the  other  so  that  sometimes  we  must 
wait  two  hours  before  we  can  catch  one.  Yesr  Oath 
erine  is  right." 

He  went  that  very  day  to  see  Father  Hoffman,  so 
that  after  that,  Michel,  one  of  the  waiters  at  the  cafe 
brought  us  the  gazette  every  night  at  seven  o'clock,, 
just  as  we  rose  from  the  table.     We  were  happy  al 


112  WATERLOO. 

ways  when  we  heard  him  coming  up  the  stairs,  and 
we  would  say,  "  There  comes  the  gazette." 

Catharine  would  hurry  off  the  cloth  and  I  would 
put  a  big  billet  of  wood  in  the  stove,  and  Mr.  Goul- 
den  would  draw  his  spectacles  from  their  case,  and 
while  Catharine  spun  and  I  smoked  my  pipe  like  an 
old  soldier,  and  watched  the  blaze  as  it  danced  in  the 
stove,  he  would  read  us  the  news  from  Paris. 

You  can  not  imagine  the  happiness  and  satisfaction 
we  had  in  hearing  Benjamin  Constant  and  two  or 
three  others  maintain  the  same  opinions  which  we 
held  ourselves.  Sometimes  Mr.  Goulden  was  forced 
to  stop  to  wipe  his  spectacles,  and  then  Catherine 
would  exclaim : 

"  How  well  these  people  talk.  They  are  men  of 
good  sense.  Yes,  what  they  say  is  right — it  is  the 
simple  truth." 

And  we  all  approved  it.  Sometimes  Father  Goul- 
den thought  that  they  ought  to  have  spoken  of  this 
or  that  a  little  more,  but  that  the  rest  was  all  very 
well.  Then  he  would  go  on  with  his  reading,  which 
lasted  till  ten  o'clock,  and  then  we  all  went  to  bed, 
reflecting  on  what  we  had  just  heard.  Outside  the 
wind  blew,  as  it  only  can  blow  at  Pfalzbourg,  and 
vanes  creaked  as  they  turned,  and  the  rain  beat 
against  the  walls,  while  we  enjoyed  the  warmth  and 


WATERLOO.  113 

comfort,  and  thanked  God  till  sleep  came,  and  we 
forget  everything.  Ah  !  how  happily  we  sleep  with 
peace  in  our  souls,  and  when  we  have  strength  and 
health,  and  the  love  and  respect  of  those  whom  we 
love. 

Days,  weeks,  and  months  went  by,  and  we  be- 
came, after  a  manner,  politicians,  and  when  the  minis- 
ters were  going  to  speak,  we  thought : 

"  Now  the  beggars  want  to  deceive  us  !  the  mis- 
erable race !  they  ought  to  be  driven  out,  every  one 
of  them  !" 

Catherine  above  all  could  not  endure  them,  and 
when  Mother  Gredel  came  and  talked  as  before  about 
our  good  king  Louis  XVIII. ,  we  allowed  her  to  talk 
out  of  respect,  but  we  pitied  her  for  being  so  blind 
to  the  real  interests  of  the  country. 

^  It  must  be  remembered,  too,  that  these  emigres, 
ministers,  and  princes,  conducted  themselves  in  the 
most  insolent  manner  possible  toward  us.  If  the 
Count  d'Artois  and  his  sons  had  put  themselves  at 
the  head  of  the  Vendeeans  and  Bretons,  and  marched 
on  Paris  and  had  been  victorious,  they  would  have 
had  reason  to  say,  "We  are  masters,  and  will  make  laws 
for  you.1'  But  to  be  driven  out  at  first,  and  to  be 
brought  back  by  the  Prussians  and  the  Russians,  and 
then  to  come  and  humiliate  us,  that  was  contemptible, 


114  WATERLOO, 

and  the  older  I  grow  the  more  I  am  confirmed  in  that 
idea — it  was  shameful ! 

Zebede  came  to  see  us  from  time  to  time,  and  h 
knew  all  that  was  in  the  gazette.  It  was  from  u 
that  he  first  learned,  that  the  young  emigres  had 
driven  General  Yandamme  from  the  presence  of  the 
king.  This  old  sol„dier,  who  had  just  returned  from 
a  Russian  prison,  and  whom  all  the  army  respected 
in  spite  of  his  misfortune  at  Kulm,  they  conducted 
from  the  royal  presence,  and  told  him  that  was 
not  his  place.  Vandamme  had  been  colonel  of  a 
regiment  at  Pfalzbourg,  and  you  can  not  imagine  the 
indignation  of  the  people  at  this  news. 

And  it  was  Zebede  who  told  us,  that  processes  had 
been  made  out  against  the  generals  on  half-pay,  and 
that  their  letters  were  opened  at  the  post,  that  they 
might  appear  like  traitors.  He  told  us  a  little  afterward 
that  they  were  going  to  send  away  the  daughters  of 
the  old  officers  who  were  at  the  school  of  St.  Denis 
and  give  them  a  pension  of  two  hundred  francs ;  and 
later  still,  that  the  emigres  alone  would  have  the 
right  to  put  their  sons  in  the  schools  at  "  St.  Cyr"  and 
"  la  Fleche"  to  be  educated  as  officers,  while  the  peo- 
ple's sons  would  remain  soldiers  at  five  centimes 
(one  cent)  a  day  for  centuries  to  come. 

The   gazettes  told  the  same   stories,  but  Zebede 


WATERLOO.  115 

knew  a  great  many  other  details — the  soldiers  knew 
every  thing. 

I  could  not  describe  Zebede's  face  to  you  as  he 
sat  behind  the  stove,  with  the  end  of  his  black  pipe 
between  his  teeth,  recounting  all  these  misfortunes, 
His  great  nose  would  turn  pale,  and  the  muscles 
would  twitch  around  the  corners  of  his  light  gray 
eyes,  and  he  would  pretend  to  laugh  from  time  to 
time,  and  murmur,  "  It  moves,  it  moves." 

"  And  what  do  the  other  soldiers  think  of  all  this  ?" 
said  Father  Goulden. 

"  Ha  !  they  think  it  is  pretty  well  when  they  have 
given  their  blood  to  France  for  twenty  years,  when 
they  have  made,  ten,  fifteen,  and  twenty  campaigns, 
and  wear  three  chevrons,  and  are  riddled  with  wounds, 
to  hear  that  their  old  chiefs  are  driven  from  their 
posts,  their  daughters  turned  out  of  the  schools,  and 
that  the  sons  of  those  people  are  to  be  their  officers 
forever — that  delights  them,  Father  Goulden  !"  and 
his  face  quivered  even  to  his  ears  as  he  said  this. 

"  That  is  terrible,  certainly,"  said  Father  Goulden 

but  discipline  is  always  discipline  there.  The 
marshals  obey  the  ministers,  and  the  officers  the 
marshals,  and  the  soldiers  the  officers." 

"  You  are  right,"  said  Zebede,  "  but  there,  they  are 
beating  the  assembly." 


116  WATERLOO. 

And  he  shook  hands  and  hurried  off  to  the 
barracks. 

The  winter  passed  in  this  way,  while  the  indigna- 
tion increased  every  day.  The  city  was  full  of  officers 
on  half  pay,  who  dared  not  remain  in  Paris, — lieu- 
tenants, captains,  commandants,  and  colonels  of  in- 
fantry and  cavalry  —men  who  Aved  on  a  crust  of 
bread  and  a  glass  of  wine  a  day,  and  who  were  the 
more  miserable  because  they  were  forced  to  kee;,  Uj 
an  appearance — think  of  such  men  with  their  hollow 
cheeks  and  their  hair  closely  cropped,  with  sparkling 
eyes  and  their  big  mustaches  and  their  old  uniform 
cloaks,  of  which  they  had  been  forced  to  change  the 
buttons,  see  them  promenading  by  threes  and  sixes 
and  tens  on  the  square,  with  their  sword-canes  at 
their  button-holes,  and  their  three-cornered  hats  so 
old  and  worn,  though  still  well  brushed ;  you  could 
not  help  thinking  that  they  had  not  one  quarter 
enough  to  eat. 

And  yet  we  were  compelled  to  say  to  ourselves, 
these  are  the  victors  of  Jemmapes,  of  Fleurus,  of 
Zurich,  of  Hohenlinden,  of  Marengo,  of  Austerlitz,  and 
of  Friedland  and  Wagram.  If  we  are  proud  of  be- 
ing Frenchmen,  neither  the  Comte  d'Artois  nor  the 
Duke  de  Berry  can  boast  of  being  the  cause ;  on  the 
contrary,  it  is  these  men,  and  now  they  leave  their 


WATERLOO.  117 

to  perish,  they  even  refuse  them  bread  and  put  the 
emigres  in  their  place.  It  does  not  need  any  extra- 
ordinary amount  of  common  sense,  or  heart,  or  of 
justice  to  discover  that  this  is  contrary  to  nature. 

I  never  could  look  at  these  unhappy  men ;  it  made 
me  miserable.  If  you  have  been  a  soldier  for  only 
six  months,  your  respect  for  your  old  chiefs,  for  those 
whom  you  have  seen  in  the  very  front  under  fire,  al- 
ways remains.  I  was  ashamed  of  my  country  for 
permitting  such  indignities. 

One  circumstance  I  shall  never  forget :  it  was  the 
last  of  January,  1815,  when  two  of  these  half-pay 
officers — one  was  a  large,  austere,  gray-haired  man, 
known  as  Colonel  Falconette,  who  appeared  to  have 
served  in  the  infantry,  the  other  was  short  and  thick 
and  they  called  him  Commandant  Margarot,  and  he 
still  wore  his  hussar  whiskers — came  to  us  and  pro- 
posed to  sell  a  splendid  watch.  It  might  have  been 
ten  o'clock  in  the  morning.  I  can  see  them  now  as 
they  came  gravely  in,  the  colonel  with  his  high  col- 
lar, and  the  other  one  with  his  head  down  between 
his  shoulders. 

The  watch  was  a  gold  one,  with  double  case ;  a 
repeater  which  marked  the  seconds,  and  was  wound 
up  only  once  in  eight  days.  I  had  never  seen  such  a 
fine  one. 


118  WATERLOO. 

While  Mi.  Goulden  examined  it  I  turned  round  on 
my  chair  and  looked  at  the  men,  who  seemed  to  be 
in  great  need  of  money,  especially  the  hussar.  Hia 
brown,  bony  face,  his  big  red  mustaches,  and  his  little 
brown  eyes,  his  broad  shoulders  and  long  arms,  which 
hung  down  to  his  knees,  inspired  me  with  great 
respect.  I  thought  that  when  he  took  his  saber 
his  long  arm  would  reach  a  good  way,  that  his  eyes 
would  burn  under  his  heavy  brows,  and  that  the 
parry  and  thrust  would  come  like  lightning.  I  im- 
agined him  in  a  charge,  half  hidden  behind  his  horse's 
head,  with  the  point  adA>anced,  and  my  admiration 
was  greater  still.  I  suddenly  remembered  that  Col- 
onel Falconette  and  Commandant  Margarot  had 
killed  some  Russian  and  Austrian  officers  in  a  duel 
in  the  rear  of  the  "  Green  Tree,"  when  the  allies  were 
passing  through  the  town  six  months  ago. 

The  large  man  too,  without  any  shirt  collar,  al- 
though he  was  thin,  wrinkled,  and  pale,  and  his  tem- 
ples were  gray  and  his  manner  cold,  seemed  re- 
spectable too 

I  waited  to  hear  what  Father  Goulden  would  say 
about  the  watch.  He  did  not  raise  his  eyes,  but 
looked  at  it  with  profound  admiration,  while  the 
men  waited  quietly  like  those  who  suffer  from  not 
being  able  to  conceal  their  pain.     At  last  he  said 


WATERLOO.  119 

"  This,  gentlemen,  is  a  beautiful  watch,  fit  for  a 
prince  ?  " 

"  Indeed  it  is,"  said  the  hussar,  "  and  it  was  from 
a  prince  I  received  it  after  the  battle  of  Rabbe,"  and 
e  glanced  at  his  companion,  who  said  nothing. 

Mr.  Goulden  saw  that  they  were  in  great  need. 
He  took  off  his  black  silk  bonnet,  and  said,  as  he  rose 
slowly  from  his  seat: 

"  Gentlemen,  do  not  take  offense  at  what  I  am  go- 
ing to  say.  I  am  like  you  an  old  soldier,  I  served 
France  under  the  Republic,  and  I  am  sure  it  must 
be  heart-breaking  to  be  forced  to  sell  such  a  thing  as 
that,  an  object  which  recalls  some  noble  action,  the 
souvenir  of  a  chief  whom  we  revere." 

I  had  never  heard  Father  Goulden  speak  with  such 
emotion,  his  bald  head  was  bowed  sadly,  and  his 
eyes  were  on  the  ground,  so  that  he  might  not  see 
the  pain  of  those  to  whom  he  was  speaking. 

The  commandant  grew  quite  red,  his  eyes  were 
dim,  his  great  fingers  worked,  and  the  colonel  waa 
pale  as  death.     I  wished  myself  away. 

Mr.  Goulden  went  on,  "  This  watch  is  worth  moie 
fhan  a  thousand  francs,  I  have  not  so  much  money 
in  hand,  and  besides  you  would  doubtless  regret  to 
part  with  such  a  souvenir.  I  will  make  you  this  offer, 
leave    the  watch  with  me,  I  will   bang  it   in  my 


120  WATERLOO. 

window — it  shall  always  be  yours — and  I  will  advance 
you  two  hundred  francs,  which  you  shall  repay  me 
when  you  take  it  away." 

On  hearing  this,  the  hussar  extended  his  two  great 
hairy  hands,  as  if  to  embrace  Father  Goulden. 

"  You  are  a  good  patriot,"  he  exclaimed,  "  Colin 
told  us  so.  Ah !  sir,  I  shall  never  forget  the  service 
you  have  rendered  me.  This  watch  I  received,  from 
Prince  Eugene  for  bravery  in  action,  it  is  dear  to  me 
as  my  own  blood,  but  poverty — " 

"  Commandant !"  exclaimed  the  other,  turning  pale. 

"  Colonel,  permit  me !  we  are  old  comrades  together. 
They  are  starving  us,  they  treat  us  like  Cossacks. 
They  are  too  cowardly  to  shoot  us  outright." 

He  could  be  heard  all  over  the  house.  Catherine 
and  I  ran  into  the  kitchen  in  order  not  to  see  the  sad 
spectacle.  Mr.  Goulden  soothed  him,  and  we  heard 
him  say: 

"  Yes,  yes,  gentlemen,  I  know  all  that,  and  I  put 
myself  in  your  place." 

"  Come !   Margarot,   be   quiet,"  said   the   colonel. 
And  this  went  on  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour. 
.     At  last  we  heard  Mr.  Goulden  count  out  the  mon 
ey,  and  the  hussar  said: 

"Thank  yon,  sir,  thank  you  !  If  ever  you  have  o© 
casion,  remember  the  Commandant  Margarot." 


WATERLOO.  121 

We  were  glad  to  hear  the  door  open,  and  to  hear 
them  go  down-stairs,  for  Catherine  and  I  were  much 
pained  by  what  wv  had  heard  and  seen.  We  went 
back  to  the  room,  and  Mr.  Goulden,  who  had  been  to 
show  the  officers  out,  came  back  with  his  head  bare 
He  was  very  much  disturbed. 

"  These  unhappy  men  are  right,"  said  he,"  the  con 
duct  of  the  government  toward  them  is  horrible,  but 
it  will  have  to  pay  for  it  sooner  or  later." 

We  were  sad  all  day,  but  Mr.  Goulden  showed  me 
the  watch  and  explained  its  beauties,  and  told  me, 
we  ought  always  to  have  such  models  before  us,  and 
then  we  hung  it  in  our  window. 

From  that  moment  the  idea  never  left  me  that 
matters  would  end  badly,  and  that  even  if  the  emi- 
gres stopped  here,  they  had  done  too  much  mischief 
already.  I  could  still  hear  the  commandant  exclaim- 
ing, that  they  treated  the  army  like  Cossacks.  All 
those  processions  and  expiations  and  sermons  about 
the  rebellion  of  twenty-five  years,  seemed  to  me  to 
be  a  terrible  confusion,  and  I  felt  that  the  restoration 
of  the  national  property  and  the  rebuilding  of  the 

convents  would  be  productive  of  no  good. 
6 


122  WATERLOO. 


X. 

It  was  about  the  beginning  of  March,  when  a 
rumor  began  to  circulate  that  the  Emperor  had  just 
landed  at  Cannes.  This  rumor  was  like  the  wind, 
nobody  ever  could  tell  where  it  came  from.  Pfalz- 
bourg  is  two  hundred  leagues  from  the  sea,  and 
many  a  mountain  and  valley  lies  between  them.  An 
extraordinary  circumstance,  I  remember,  happened 
on  the  6th  of  March.  When  I  rose  in  the  morning 
I  pushed  open  the  window  of  our  little  chamber 
which  was  just  under  the  eaves,  and  looked  across 
the  street  at  the  old  black  chimneys  of  Spitz  the 
baker,  and  saw  that  a  little  snow  still  remained  be- 
hind them.  The  cold  was  sharp,  though  the  sun  was 
shining,  and  I  thought,  "  What  fine  weather  for  a 
march !"  Then  I  remembered  how  happy  we  used 
to  be  in  Germany,  as  we  put  out  our  camp-fires  and 
set  off  on  such  fine  mornings  as  this,  with  our  guns 


THE   EMPEROR   HAD   SET   OUT  FOR  PARIS. 


WATERLOO.  123 

on  our  shoulders,  listening  to  the  footfalls  of  the  bat- 
talion echoing  from  the  hard  frozen  ground.  I  do 
not  know  how  it  was,  but  suddenly  the  Emperor 
came  into  my  mind,  and  I  saw  him  with  his  gray 
;oat  and  round  shoulders,  with  his  hat  drawn  over 
his  eyes,  marching  along  with  the  Old  Guard  behind 
him. 

Catherine  was  sweeping  our  little  room,  and  I 
was  almost  dreaming  as  I  leaned  out  into  the  dry, 
clear  air,  when  we  heard  some  one  coming  up  the 
stairs.     Catherine  stopped  her  sweeping  and  said  : 

"  It  is  Mr.  Goulden." 

I  also  recognized  his  step,  and  was  surprised,  as 
he  seldom  came  into  our  chamber.  He  opened  the 
door  and  said  in  a  low  voice  : 

"  My  children,  the  Emperor  landed  on  the  1st  of 
March  at  Cannes,  near  Toulon,  and  is  marching  upon 
Paris." 

He  said  no  more,  but  sat  down  to  take  breath. 
We  looked  at  each  other  in  astonishment,  bu'b  a 
moment  after  Catherine  asked : 

"  Is  it  in  the  gazette,  Mr.  Goulden  ?" 

"  No,"  he  replied,  "  either  they  know  nothing  ol 
it  over  there,  or  else  they  conceal  it  from  us.  But, 
in  Heaven's  name,  not  a  word  of  all  this,  or  we 
shall  be  arrested.     This  morning,  about  five  o'clock, 


124  WATERLOO. 

Zebede,  who  mounted  guard  at  the  French  gate, 
came  to  let  me  know  of  it;  he  knocked  down-stairss 
did  you  hear  him  ?" 

"  No  !  we  were  asleep,  Mr.  Goulden." 

"  Well !  I  opened  the  window  to  see  what  was  the 
matter,  and  then  I  went  down  and  unlocked  the 
door.  ZeVbede  told  it  to  me  as  a  fact,  and  says  the 
soldiers  are  to  be  confined  to  the  barracks  till  further 
orders.  It  seem  s  they  are  afraid  of  the  soldiers,  but 
how  can  they  stop  Bonaparte  without  them?  Thej 
can  not  send  the  peasants,  whom  they  have  stripped 
of  every  thing,  against  him,  nor  the  bourgeoisie 
whom  they  have  treated  like  Jacobins.  Now  is  a 
good  time  for  the  emigres  to  show  themselves.  But 
silence,  above  all  things,  the  most  profound  silence  !" 

He  rose,  and  we  all  went  down  to  the  workshop. 
Catherine  made  a  good  fire,  and  every  one  went 
about  his  work  as  usual. 

That  day  every  thing  was  quiet,  and  the  next 
day  also.  Some  neighbors,  Father  Riboc  and  Offran, 
came  in  to  see  us,  under  pretense  of  having  their 
watches  cleaned. 

"  Any  thing  new,  neighbor  !"  they  inquired. 

"  No,  indeed !"  replied  Mr.  Goulden.  "  Every  thing 
is  quiet.     Do  you  hear  any  thing  ?" 

"  No." 


WATERLOO.  125 

But  you  could  see  by  their  eyes,  that  they  had 
heard  the  news.  Z6bede  staid  at  the  barracks. 
The  half-pay  officers  filled  the  cafe  from  morning  till 
night,  but  not  a  word  transpired,  the  affair  was  too 
serious.  On  the  third  day  these  officers,  who  were 
boiling  over  with  impatience,  were  seen  running  back 
and  forth,  their  very  faces  showing  their  terrible 
anxiety.  If  they  had  had  horses  or  even  arms,  I  am 
sure  they  would  have  attempted  something.  But  the 
guards  went  and  came  also,  with  old  Chancel  at 
their  head,  and  a  courier  was  sent  off  hourly  to  Saar- 
bourg.  The  excitement  increased,  nobody  felt  any 
interest  in  his  work.  We  soon  learned  through  the 
commercial  travelers,  who  arrived  at  the  "  City  of 
Basle,"  that  the  upper  Rhine  provinces  and  the  Jura 
had  risen,  and  that  regiments  of  cavalry  and  infan- 
try were  following  each  other  from  Besangon,  and 
that  heavy  forces  had  been  sent  against  the  usurper. 

One  of  these  travelers  having  spoken  rather  too 
freely,  was  ordered  to  quit  the  town  at  once,  the 
brigadier  in  command  having  examined  his  passport 
and,  fortunately  for  him,  found  it  properly  made  out. 

I  have  seen  other  revolutions  since  then,  but  never 
such  excitement  as  reigned  on  the  8th  of  March  be- 
tween four  and  five  in  the  evening,  when  the  order 
arrived  for  the  departure  of  the  first  and  £©ooix<1  bat- 


126  WATERLOO. 

talions  fully  equipped  for  service  for  .Lons-le-Saulnier 
It  was  only  then  that  the  danger  was  fully  realized, 
and  every  one  thought,  "  It  is  not  the  Duke  d'Angou- 
erne  nor  the  Duke  de  Berry  that  we  need  to  arrest 
uhe  progress  of  Bonaparte,  but  the  whole  of  Europe." 

The  faces  of  the  officers  on  half-pay  lighted  up 
as  with  a  burst  of  sunshine,  and  they  breathed  freely 
again.  About  five  o'clock  the  first  roll  of  the  drum 
was  heard  on  the  square,  when  suddenly  Zebede 
rushed  in. 

"Well!"  said  Father  Goulden  to  him. 

"  The  first  two  battalions  are  going  away,"  he  re- 
plied.    He  was  very  pale. 

"  They  are  sent  to  stop  him,"  said  Mr.  Goulden. 

"  Yes,"  said  Zebede,  winking,  "  they  are  going  to 
stop  him," 

The  drums  still  rolled.  He  went  down-stairs,  four 
at  a  time.  I  followed  him.  At  the  foot  of  the 
stairs,  and  while  he  was  on  the  first  step,  he  seized 
me  by  the  arm,  and  raising  his  shako,  whispered  in 
my  ear : 

"  Look,  Joseph,  do  you  recognize  that  ?" 

I  saw  the  old  tri-colored  cockade  in  the  lining. 

"  That  is  ours,"  he  said,  "  all  the  soldiers  have  it." 

I  hardly  had  time  to  glance  at  it  when  he  shook  my 
hand  and,  turning  away,  hurried  to  Fouquet's  corner. 


WATERLOO.  127 

I  went  up-stairs,  saying  to  myself,  "Now  for  another 
breaking  up,  in  which  Europe  will  be  involved;  now 
for  the  conscription,  Joseph,  the  abolition  of  all  per- 
mits and  all  the  other  things  that  we  read  of  in  the  ga- 
zettes. In  the  place  of  quiet,  we  must  be  plunged  in 
confusion ;  instead  of  listening  to  the  ticking  of  clocks, 
we  must  hear  the  thunder  of  cannon ;  instead  of 
talking  of  convents,  we  must  talk  of  arsenals ;  instead 
of  smelling  flowers  and  incense,  we  must  smell  pow- 
der. Great  God  !  will  this  never  come  to  an  end  ? 
Every  thing  would  go  prosperously  without  mission- 
aries and  emigres.  What  a  calamity !  What  a  ca- 
lamity! We  who  work  and  ask  for  nothing  are 
always  the  ones  who  have  to  pay.  All  these  crimes 
are  committed  for  our  happiness,  while  they  mock  ur> 
and  treat  us  like  brutes."  A  great  many  other  ideay 
passed  through  my  head,  but  what  good  did  they  du 
me  ?  I  was  not  the  Comte  d'Artois,  nor  was  I  th<; 
Duke  de  Berry ;  and  one  must  be  a  prince  in  order 
that  his  ideas  may  be  of  consequence,  and  that  every 
word  he  speaks  may  pass  for  a  miracle. 

Father  Goulden  could  not  keep  still  a  moment  that 
afternoon.  He  was  just  as  impatient  as  I  was  who  n 
I  was  expecting  my  permit  to  marry.  He  would 
look  out  of  the  window  every  moment  and  say, 
"  There  will  be  great  news  to-day  ;  the  orders  have 


128  WATERLOO. 

been  given,  and  there  is  no  need  of  hiding  any  thing 
from  us  any  longer."  And  from  time  to  time  he 
would  exclaim,  "  Hush  !  here  is  the  mail  coach  !" 

We  would  listen,  but  it  was  Lanche's  cart  with  his 
old  horses,  or  Baptiste's  boat  at  the  bridge.  It  was 
quite  dark  and  Catherine  had  laid  the  cloth,  when 
for  the  twentieth  time  Mr.  Gould  en  exclaimed, 
"  Listen  !" 

This  time  we  heard  a  distant  rumbling,  which  came 
nearer  every  moment.  Without  waiting  an  instant, 
he  ran  to  the  alcove  and  slipped  on  his  big  waistcoat, 
crying : 

"  Joseph,  it  has  come." 

He  rolled  down  the  stairs,  as  it  were,  and  from 
seeing  him  in  such  a  hurry  the  desire  to  hear  the 
news  seized  me,  and  I  followed  him.  We  had  hardly 
reached  the  street  when  the  coach  came  through  the 
dark  gateway,  with  its  two  red  lanterns,  and  rushed 
past  us  like  a  thunderbolt.  We  ran  after  it,  but  we 
wTere  not  alone ;  from  all  sides  we  heard  the  people 
running  and  shouting,  "  There  it  is,  there  it  is  P 
The  post-office  was  in  the  rue  des  Foins,  near  the 
German  gate,  and  the  coach  went  straight  down  to 
the  college  and  turned  there  to  the  right.  The  far- 
ther we  went  the  greater  was  the  crowd  ;  it  poured 
from  every  door. 


WATERLOO.  129 

The  old  mayor,  Mr.  Parmentier,  his  secretary, 
Eschbach,  and  Cauchois,  the  tax-gatherer,  and  many 
other  notables  were  in  the  crowd,  talking  together 
and  saying : 

"  The  decisive  moment  has  come." 

When  we  turned  into  the  Place  d'Armes,  we  saw 
the  crowd  already  gathered  in  front  of  the  post- 
office  ;  innumerable  faces  were  leaning  over  the  iron 
balustrade,  one  trying  to  get  before  the  other,  and 
interrogating  the  courier,  who  did  not  answer  a 
word. 

The  postmaster,  Mr.  Pernette,  opened  the  win- 
dow, which  was  lighted  up  from  the  inside,  and 
the  package  of  letters  and  papers  flew  from  the  coach 
through  this  window  into  the  room ;  the  window 
closed,  and  the  crack  of  the  postilion's  whip  warned 
the  crowd  to  get  out  of  the  way. 

"  The  papers,  the  papers  !"  shouted  the  crowd 
from  every  side.  The  coach  set  off  again  and  dis* 
appeared  through  the  German  gate. 

"Let  us  go  to  Hoffman's  cafe,"  said  Mr.  Goulden 
"  Hurry  !  the  papers  will  go  there,  and  if  we  wait 
we  shall  not  be  able  to  get  in." 

As  we  crossed  the  square  we  heard  some  one  run 
ning  behind  us,  and  the  clear,  strong  voice  of  Marga< 
rot,  saying  : 

6* 


130  WATERLOO. 

"  They  have  come,  I  have  them." 

All  the  half-pay  officers  were  following  him,  and  as 
the  moon  was  shining  we  could  see  they  were  coming 
at  a  great  pace.  We  rushed  into  the  cafe  and  were 
hardly  seated  near  the  great  stove  of  Delft  ware, 
when  the  crowd  at  once  poured  in  through  both 
doors.  You  should  have  seen  the  faces  of  the  half- 
pay  officers  at  that  moment.  Their  great  three- 
cornered  hats,  defiling  under  the  lamps,  their  thin 
faces  with  their  long  mustaches  hanging  down,  their 
sparkling  eyes  peering  into  the  darkness,  made  them 
look  like  savages  in  pursuit  of  something.  Some  of 
them  squinted  in  their  impatience  and  anxiety,  and  I 
think  that  they  did  not  see  any  thing  at  all,  and  that 
their  thoughts  were  elsewhere  with  Bonaparte ; — that 
was  fearful. 

The  people  kept  coming  and  coming,  till  we  were 
suffocating,  and  were  obliged  to  open  the  windows. 
Outside  in  the  street,  where  the  cavalry  barracks 
were,  and  on  the  Fountain  Square,  there  was  a  great 
tumult. 

"  We  did  weL  to  come  at  once,"  said  Mr.  Goulden, 
springing  on  a  chair  and  steadying  himself  with  his 
hand  on  the  stove.  Others  were  doing  the  same  thing, 
and  I  followed  his  example.  Nothing  could  be  seen 
but  the  easier  faces  and  the  bio-  hats  of  the  officers. 


WATERLOO.  131 

and  the  great  crowd  on  the  square  outside  in  the 
moonlight.  The  tumult  increased  and  a  voice  cried, 
"  Silence."  It  was  the  Commandant  Margarot,  who 
had  mounted  upon  a  table.  Behind  him  the  gen- 
darmes Keltz  and  Werner  looked  on,  and  at  all  the 
open  windows  people  were  leaning  in  to  hear.  On 
the  square  at  the  same  instant  somebody  repeated, 
"  Silence,  silence."  And  it  was  at  once  so  still  that 
you  would  have  said,  there  was  not  a  soul  there. 

The  commandant  read  the  gazette.  His  clear 
voice  pronouncing  every  word  with  a  sort  of  quaver 
in  it,  resembling  the  tic-tac  of  our  clock  in  the  middle 
of  the  night,  and  it  could  be  distinctly  heard  in  the 
square.  The  reading  lasted  a  long  time,  for  the  com- 
mandant omitted  nothing.  I  remember  it  commenced 
by  declaring  that  the  one  called  Bonaparte,  a  public 
enemy,  who  for  fifteen  years  had  held  France  in  des- 
potic slavery,  had  escaped  from  his  island,  and  had 
had  the  audacity  to  set  his  foot  on  the  soil  deluged 
with  blood  through  his  own  crimes,  but  that  the 
troops — faithful  to  the  King  and  to  the  nation — were 
on  the  march  to  stop  him,  and  that  in  view  of  the 
general  horror,  Bonaparte,  with  the  handful  of  beg- 
gars that  accompanied  him,  had  fled  to  the  mountains, 
but  that  he  was  surrounded  on  all  sides  and  could 
not  escape. 


132  WATERLOO. 

I  reme ruber  too,  according  to  that  gazette  all  the 
marshals  had  hastened  to  place  their  glorious  swords 
at  the  service  of  the  King,  the  father  of  the  people 
and  of  the  nation,  and  that  the  illustrious  Marshal 
Ney,  prince  of  Moscowa,  had  kissed  the  King's  hand 
and  promised  to  bring  Bonaparte  to  Paris  dead  or 
alive.  After  that  there  were  some  Latin  words  which 
n  o  doubt  had  been  put  there  for  the  priests. 

From  time  to  time  I  heard  some  one  behind  me 
laughing  and  jeering  at  the  journal.  On  turning 
round,  I  saw  that  it  was  Professor  Burguet  and  two 
or  three  other  noted  men  who  had  been  taken  after 
the  "  Hundred  days,"  and  had  been  forced  to  remain  at 
Bourges  because,  as  Father  Goulden  said,  they  had  too 
much  spirit.  That  shows  plainly  that  it  is  better  to 
keep  still  at  such  times,  if  one  does  not  wish  to  fight 
nn  either  side;  for  words  are  of  no  use,  but  to  get  us 
into  difficulty. 

But  there  was  something  worse  still  towTard  the 
end,  when  the  commandant  commenced  to  read  the 
decrees. 

The  first  indicated  the  movement  of  the  troops, 
and  the  second,  commanded  all  Frenchmen  to  fall 
upon  Bonaparte,  to  arrest  and  deliver  him  dead  or 
alive,  because  he  had  rut  himself  out  of  the  pale  of 
law. 


WATERLOO.  133 

At  that  moment  the  commandant,  who  had  until 
then  only  laughed  when  he  read  the  name  of  Bona- 
parte, and  whose  bony  face  had  only  trembled  a  little 
as  it  was  lighted  up  by  the  lamp — at  that  moment 
his  aspect  changed  completely,  I  never  saw  any  thing 
more  terribl  e;  his  face  contracted,  fold  upon  fold,  his 
little  eyes  blazed  like  those  of  a  cat,  and  his  mustaches 
and  whiskers  stood  on  end ;  he  seized  the  gazette  and 
tore  it  into  a  thousand  pieces,  and  then  pale  as  death 
he  raised  himself  to  his  full  height,  extended  his  long 
arms,  and  shouted  in  a  voice  so  loud  that  it  made 
our  flesh  creep,  Vive  VEmpereur!  Immediately  all 
the  half-pay  officers  raised  their  three-cornered  hats, 
some  in  their  hands  and  some  on  the  end  of  their 
sword-canes,  and  repeated  with  one  voice,  Vive 
VEmpereur  ! 

You  would  have  thought  the  roof  was  coming 
down.  I  felt  just  as  if  some  one  had  thrown  cold 
water  down  my  back.  I  said  to  myself,  c<  It  is  all 
over  now.  What  is  the  use  in  preaching  peace  to 
such  people." 

Outside  among  the  groups  of  citizens,  the  soldiers 
of  the  post  repeated  the  cry,  Vive  V  Empereur,  And 
as  I  looked  in  great  anxiety  to  see  what  the  gen- 
darmes would  do,  they  retired  without  saying  a  word, 
being  old  soldiers  also. 


134  WATERLOO. 

But  it  was  not  yet  over.  As  the  commandant 
was  getting  down  from  the  table,  an  officer  suggested 
that  they  should  carry  him  in  triumph.  They  seized 
him  by  the  legs,  and  forcing  the  crowd  aside,  carried 
him  around  the  room,  screaming  like  madmen,  Vive 
PJEJmpereur.  He  was  so  affected  by  the  honor  shown 
him  by  his.  comrades  and  by  hearing  them  shout  what 
he  so  much  loved  to  hear,  that  he  sat  there  with  his 
long  hairy  hands  on  their  shoulders,  and  his  head 
above  their  great  hats,  and  wept.  No  one  would 
have  believed  that  such  a  face  could  weep;  that 
alone  was  sufficient  to  upset  you  and  make  you  trem- 
ble. He  said  not  a  word ;  his  eyes  were  closed  and 
and  the  tears  ran  down  his  nose  and  his  long  mus- 
taches. I  was  looking  on  with  all  my  eyes,  as  you 
can  imagine,  when  Father  Goulden  got  down  from 
his  chair  and  pulled  me  by  the  arm,  saying: 

"  Joseph,  let  us  go,  it  is  time." 

Behind  us  the  hall  was  already  empty.  Every- 
body had  hurried  out  by  the  brewer  Klein's  alley 
for  fear  of  being  mixed  up  in  a  disagreeable  affair, 
and  we  went  that  way  also. 

As  we  crossed  the  square,  Father  Goulden  said, 
"  There  is  danger  that  matters  will  take  a  bad  turn. 
To-morrow  the  gendarmerie  may  commence  to  act,  the 
Commandant  Margarot  and  the  others  have  not  th* 


WATERLOO.  135 

air  of  men  who  will  allow  themselves  to  be  arrested. 

The  soldiers  of  the  third  battalion  will  take  their 

part,  if  they  have  not  already.     The  city  is  in  their 

power." 

He  was  talking  to  himself,  and  I  thought  as  he 
did. 

When  we  reached  home,  Catherine  was  waiting 
anxiously  for  us  in  the  workshop.  We  told  her  all 
that  had  happened.  The  table  was  set,  but  nobody 
was  inclined  to  eat.  Mr.  Goulden  drank  a  glass  of 
wine,  and  then  as  he  took  off  his  shoes  he  said  to  us : 

"My  children,  after  what  we  have  just  heard  we 
may  be  sure  that  the  Emperor  will  reach  Paris ;  the 
soldiers  wish  it,  and  the  peasants  desire  it,  and  if  he 
has  considered  well  since  he  has  been  on  his  island  and 
will  give  up  his  ideas  about  war,  and  will  respect  the 
treaties,  the  bourgeoise  will  ask  nothing  better,  es- 
pecially if  we  have  a  good  Constitution  that  will 
guarantee  to  every  one  his  liberty,  which  is  the  best 
of  all  good  things.  Let  us  wish  it  for  ourselves  and 
for  him.     Good  night." 


136  WATERLOO. 


XI. 

The  next  day  was  Friday  and  market  day,  and  there 
was  nothing  talked  of  in  the  whole  town  but  the  great 
news.  Great  numbers  of  peasants  from  Alsace  and 
Lorraine  came  filing  into  town  on  their  carts,  some 
in  blouses,  some  in  their  waistcoats,  some  in  three- 
cornered  hats,  and  some  in  their  cotton  caps,  unde^ 
pretense  of  selling  their  grain,  their  barley  and  oats, 
but  in  reality  to  find  out  what  was  going  on. 

You  could  hear  nothing  but "  Get  up,  Fox  !  gee  ho, 
Gray  !"  and  the  rolling  of  the  wheels  and  the  crack- 
ing of  the  whips.  And  the  women  were  not  behind- 
hand, they  arrived  from  the  Houpe,  from  Dagsberg, 
Ercheviller,  and  Baraques,  with  their  scanty  skirts  and 
with  great  baskets  on  their  heads,  striding  and  hurry- 
ing along.  Everybody  passed  under  our  windows, 
and  Mr.  Goulden  said, "  What  an  excitement  there  is, 
what  a  rush !     It  is  easy  to  see  that  there  is  anothei 


WATERLOO.  137 

spirit  m  the  land.     ISTobody  is  marching  now  with 
candles  in  his  hand  and  a  surplice  on  his  back." 

He  seemed  to  be  satisfied,  and  that  proved  how 
much  all  these  ceremonies  had  annoyed  him.  At  last 
about  eight  o'clock  it  was  necessary  to  set  about  our 
work  again,  and  Catherine  went  out  as  usual  to  buy 
our  butter  and  eggs  and  vegetables  for  the  week. 
At  ten  o'clock  she  came  back  again. 

"  Oh  !  Heavens !"  said  she,  "  every  thing  is  topsy- 
turvy." And  then  she  related  how  the  half-pay  offi- 
cers were  promenading  with  their  sword-canes,  with 
the  Commandant  Margarot  in  their  midst,  that  on  the 
square,  in  the  market,  in  the  church,  and  around  the 
stands,  everywhere  the  peasants  and  citizens  were 
-shaking  hands  and  taking  snuff  together,  and  say- 
ing, "Ah  !  now  trade  is  brisk  again." 

And  she  told  us  also  that  during  the  night  procla 
mations  had  been  posted  up  at  the  town-house  and  on 
the  three  doors  of  the  church,  and  even  against  the 
pillars  of  the  market,  but  that  the  gendarmes  had 
torn  them  down  early  in  the  morning,  in  fact,  that 
every  thing  was  in  commotion.  Father  Goulden  had 
risen  from  the  counter  in  order  to  listen  to  her,  and 
I  turned  round  on  my  chair  and  thought : 

"  All  that  is  good,  very  good,  but  at  this  rate  your 
leave  of  absence  will  soon  be  recalled.     Every  thing 


133  WATERLOO. 

is  moving  and  you  must  also  move,  Joseph !  Instead 
of  remaining  here  quietly  with  your  wife,  you  will 
have  to  take  your  cartridge-box  and  knapsack  anc1 
musket  and  two  packages  of  cartridges  on  your  back." 

As  I  looked  at  Catherine,  who  did  not  think  of  the 
bad  side  of  affairs,  Weissenfels,  Lutzen,  and  Leipzig 
passed  through  my  mind,  and  I  was  quite  melancholy. 
While  we  were  all  so  sober,  the  door  opened  and 
Aunt  Gredel  walked  in.  At  first  you  would  have 
thought  she  was  quite  composed. 

"  Good  morning,  Mr.  Goulden  ;  good  morning,  my 
children,"  said  she,  putting  down  her  basket  behind 
the  stove. 

"  Are  you  well  too,  Mother  Gredel  ?"  asked  Mr. 
Goulden. 

"  Ah  !  well !  well !"  said  she. 

I  saw  that  she  had  set  her  teeth,  and  that  two  red 
spots  burned  on  her  cheeks.  She  crammed  her  hair 
which  was  hanging  down  over  her  ears,  with  a  single 
thrust  into  her  cap,  and  looked  at  us  one  after  the 
Dther  with  her  gray  eyes  to  see  what  we  thought, 
and  then  she  commenced. 

"It  seems  that  the  rascal  has  escaped  from  his 
island." 

'  Of  what  rascal  do  you  speak,"  asked  Mr.  Goulden 
calmly. 


WATERLOO.  139 

"  Oh  I  you  know  very  well  of  wt<om  I  speak,  i 
speak  of  your  Bonaparte." 

Mr.  Goulden,  seeing  her  anger,  turned  round  to  his 
counter  to  avoid  a  dispute.  He  seemed  to  be  examin- 
ing a  watch,  and  I  followed  his  example. 

"  Yes,"  said  she,  speaking  still  louder,  "  his  evil 
deeds  are  commencing  again  ;  just  as  we  thought  all 
was  finished !  and  he  comes  back  again  worse  than 
ever !    What  a  pest !" 

I  could  hear  her  voice  tremble.  Mr.  Goulden  kept 
on  with  his  work,  and  asked,  without  turning  round, 
"Whose  fault  is  it,  Mother  Gredel?  Do  you  think 
that  those  processions,  atonements,  and  the  sermons 
in  regard  to  the  national  domains  and  the  '  rebellion 
of  twenty-five  years,'  these  continual  menaces  of  es- 
tablishing the  old  order  of  things,  the  order  to  close 
the  shops  during  the  service,  do  you  think  all  that 
could  continue  ?  Did  any  one,  let  me  ask,  ever  see 
since  the  world  began,  any  thing  more  calculated  to 
rouse  a  nation  against  those  who  attempt  to  degrade 
it!  Tou  would  have  said  that  Bonaparte  himself 
had  whispered  in  the  ears  of  those  Bourbons,  all  the 
stupidities  which  would  be  likely  to  disgust  the 
people.  Tell  me,  might  we  not  expect  just  what 
has  come  to  pass  ?" 

He    kept  on    looking    at  the    watch    through  his 


140  WATERLOO. 

glass  in  order  to  keep  calm.  While  he  was  speaking 
I  had  looked  at  Aunt  Gredel  out  of  the  corner  of  my 
eye.  She  had  changed  color  two  or  three  times,  and 
Catherine,  who  was  behind  us  near  the  stove,  made 
signs  to  her  not  to  make  trouble  in  our  house,  but 
the  willful  woman  disregarded  all  signs. 

"  You,  too,  are  satisfied  then  are  you  ?  you  change 
from  one  day  to  another  like  the  rest  of  them,  you 
always  bring  out  your  republic  when  it  suits  you." 

On  hearing  this,  Mr.  Goulden  coughed  softly,  as  if 
he  had  something  in  his  throat,  and  for  half-a-minute 
he  seemed  to  be  considering,  while  aunt  looked  on. 
He  recovered  himself  at  last  and  said  slowly :  "  You 
are  wrong,  Madame  Gredel,  to  reproach  me,  for  if  I 
had  wished  to  change  I  should  have  begun  sooner. 
Instead  of  being  a  clock-maker  in  Pfalzbours;  I  should 
have  been  a  colonel  or  a  general,  like  the  others,  but  I 
always  have  been,  I  am  now,  and  shall  remain  till  I 
die,  for  the  Republic  and  the  Rights  of  Man." 

Then  he  turned  suddenly  round,  and  looking  at 
unt  from  head  to  foot,  and  raising  his  voice, 
ne  went  on :  "  And  that  is  the  reason  why  I  like 
Bonaparte  better  than  the  Comte  d'Artois,  the 
emigres,  the  missionaries,  and  the  workers  of  mira- 
cles ;  at  least  he  is  forced  to  keep  something  of  the 
Revolution,  he  is  forced  to  respect  the  national  do 


WATERLOO,  141 

mam,  6u  guarantee  to  every  one  his  property,  hia 
rank, and  everything  he  has  acquired  under  the  new 
laws.  WkLout  that,  what  right  would  he  have  to 
be  Emperor  ?  If  he  had  not  maintained  equality 
why  should  the  nation  wish  to  have  him  ?  The 
others,  on  tl<?  contrary,  have  attacked  every  thing  ; 
they  want  to  destroy  every  thing  that  we  have  done. 
Now  you  understand  why  I  like  him  better  than  the 
others." 

"Ah !"  said  Mother  Gredel,  tc  that  is  new  1"  and  she 
laughed  contemptuously.  I  would  have  given  any 
thing  if  she  had  been  at  Quatre  Yents. 

"  There  was  a  time  when  you  talked  otherwise, 
when  he  re-established  the  bishops  and  the  archbish- 
ops and  the  cardinals,  when  he  had  himself  crowned 
by  the  Pope,  and  consecrated  with  oil  from  the  holy 
ampoule,*  when  he  recalled  the  emigres,  when  he 
gave  up  the  chateaux  and  forests  to  the  great  fami- 
lies, when  he  made  princes  and  dukes  and  barons  by 
the  dozen  ;  how  many  times  have  I  heard  you  say 
that  all  that  was  atrocious,  that  he  had  betrayed  the 
devolution,  that  you  would  have  preferred  the  Bour 
bons,  because  they  did  not  know  any  other  way,  that 
they  were  like  blackbirds,  who  only  whistle  one  tune 

*  Tial  which  contains  the  cil  for  anointing  tho  kings  of 
France. 


142  WATERLOO. 

because  they  know  no  other,  and  because  they  think 
it  the  most  beautiful  air  in  the  world.  While  he,  the 
result  of  the  Revolution,  whose  father  had  only  a 
few  dozens  of  goats  on  the  mountains  of  Corsica, 
should  have  known  that  all  men  are  equal,  that 
courage  and  genius  alone  elevate  them  above  their 
fellows, — that  he  should  have  despised  all  those  old 
notions,  and  that  he  should  have  made  war  only  to 
defend  the  new  rights,  the  new  ideas,  which  are  just 
and  which  nothing  can  arrest :  did  you  not  say  that, 
when  you  were  talking  with  old  Colin  in  the  rear 
of  our  garden,  for  fear  of  being  arrested — did  you 
not  say  that  between  yourselves  and  before  me  ?" 

Father  Goulden  had  grown  quite  pale.  He  looked 
down  at  his  feet  and  turned  his  snuff-box  round  and 
round  in  his  finders  as  if  he  were  thinking,  and  I  saw 
his  emotion  in  his  face. 

"  Yes,  I  said  it,"  he  replied,  "  and  I  think  so  still — 
you  have  a  good  memory,  Mother  Gredel.  It  is  true 
that  for  ten  years  Colin  and  I  have  been  obliged  to 
hide  ourselves  if  we  spoke  of  events  that  will  cer 
taiuly  be  accomplished,  and  it  is  the  despotism  of 
one  man  born  among  us,  whom  we  have  sustained 
with  our  own  blood,  which  compelled  us  to  do  that. 
But  to-day  every  thing  is  changed.  The  man,  tc 
wh->m  you  can  not  deny  genius,  has  seen  his  syco 


WATERLOO.  143 

phants  abandon  and  betray  him ;  he  has  seen  that  his 
strength  lies  in  the  people,  and  that  those  alliances 
of  which  he  had  the  weakness  to  be  so  proud,  were 
the  cause  of  his  ruin.  He  has  come  now  to  rid  us  of 
the  others,  and  I  am  glad." 

"  Then  you  have  no  faith  in  yourself,  eh  ?  Have 
you  any  need  of  him  ?"  exclaimed  Aunt  Gredel. 
"  If  the  processions  annoyed  you,  and  if  you  were, 
as  you  say,  '  the  people,'  why  do  you  need  him  ?" 

Father  Goulden  smiled,  and  said,  "  If  everybody 
had  the  courage  to  follow  his  own  conscience,  and  if 
so  many  persons  who  joined  the  processions  had  not 
done  so  from  vanity  or  to  show  their  fine  clothes,  and 
if  others  had  not  joined  from  interest,  from  the  hope 
of  getting  a  good  office,  or  to  obtain  permits,  then 
Madame  Gredel  you  would  be  right,  and  we  should 
not  have  needed  Bonaparte  to  overturn  all  that,  and 
you  would  have  seen  that  three-quarters  of  the  people 
had  common  sense,  and  perhaps  even  the  Comte 
d'Artois  himself  would  have  cried,  Hold  !  But  as 
hypocrisy  and  interest  hide  and  obscure  every  thing 
and  make  night  out  of  the  broad  day,  unhappily  we 
must  have  thunderbolts  to  make  us  see  clearly. 
It  is  you,  and  those  who  are  like  you,  who  have 
caused  those  who  have  never  changed  their  opinions, 
to  rejoice  when  fever  takes  the  place  of  colic." 


144  WATERLOO. 

Father  Goulden  rose  and  walked  up  and  down  in 
great  agitation,  and  as  Aunt  Gredel  was  going  on 
again,  he  took  his  cap  and  went  out,  saying : 

"  I  have  given  you  my  opinions.  Now  talk  to  Jo- 
seph ;  he  thinks  you  are  always  right." 

As  soon  as  he  had  gone,  Mother  Gredel  cried  out : 

"  He  is  an  old  -fool,  and  he  has  been,  always  ! 
Now,  as  for  you,  if  you  do  not  go  to  Switzerland,  I 
warn  you,  you  will  be  obliged  to  go,  God  knows 
where.  But  we  will  talk  about  that  another  time, 
the  principal  thing  is  to  warn  you.  We  will  wait 
and  see  what  happens ;  perhaps  Bonaparte  will  be 
arrested,  but  if  he  reaches  Paris,  we  will  go  some- 
where else." 

She  embraced  us  and  took  her  basket  and  went 
away.  A  few  minutes  afterward,  Father  Goulden 
came  in  and  we  sat  down  to  our  work  and  said  no 
more  about  these  things.  We  were  very  sober,  and 
at  night  I  was  more  than  ever  surprised,  when  Cathe- 
rine said : 

"  We  will  always  listen  to  Mr.  Goulden,  he  is  right 
and  will  give  us  good  counsel." 

On  hearing  that,  I  thought  that  she  agreed  with 
Father  Goulden  because  they  read  the  gazette  to- 
gether. That  gazette  always  says  what  just  pleases 
them,  but  that  does  not  prevent  it  being  very   ter- 


WATERLOO.  145 

rible  if  we  are  obliged  to  take  our  guns  and  knapsacks 
again,  and  it  would  be  better  to  be  in  Switzerland, 
either  at  Geneva,  or  at  Father  Rulle's  manufactory 
or  at  Chaux-de-Fonds,  than  at  Leipzig,  and  thos6 
other  places.  I  did  not  wish  to  contradict  Cathe- 
rine, but  her  remarks  annoyed  me  greatly. 


146  WATERLOO. 


XII. 

Fbom  that  moment  there  was  confusion  every 
where,  the  half-pay  officers  shouted,  "  Vive  l'Enipe* 
reur."  The  commandant  gave  orders  to  arrest  them, 
but  the  battalion  did  the  same  thing,  and  the  gen- 
darmes seemed  to  be  deaf.  Nobody  was  at  work  ;  the 
tax-gatherers  and  overseers,  the  mayor  and  his  coun- 
selors, grew  gray  with  uncertainty,  not  knowing  on 
which  foot  they  should  dance.  Nobody  dared  to  come 
out  for  Bonaparte,  or  for  Louis  XVIII.,  except  the 
slaters  and  masons  and  knife-grinders,  who  could  not 
lose  their  offices  and  who  wished  for  nothing  better 
then  to  see  others  in  their  places.  With  their  hat- 
chets stuck  in  their  leather  belts  and  a  bag  of  chips 
on  their  shoulders,  they  did  not  hesitate  to  shout, 
"  Down  with  the  emigres,"  they  laughed  at  the 
troubles,  which  increased  visibly. 

One  day  the   gazette  said,  the  usurper  is  at  Gre- 


WATERLOO,  147 

noble,  the  next  he  is  at  Lyons,  the  next  at  Macon, 
and  the  next  at  Auxerre,  and  so  on.  Father  Goulden 
was  in  good  humor  as  he  read  the  news  at  night,  and 
he  would  say: 

"  They  can  see  now  that  the  Frenchmen  are  for 
the  Revolution,  and  that  the  others  can  not  hold  out. 
Everybody  says,  c  Down  with  the  emigres.'  What 
a  lesson  for  those  who  can  see  clearly !  Those 
Bourbons  wanted  to  make  us  all  Vendeeans,  they 
ought  to  rejoice  that  they  have  succeeded  so  well." 

But  one  thing  troubled  him  still,  that  was  the 
great  battle  which  was  announced  between  ISTey  and 
Napoleon. 

"Although  Ney  has  kissed  the  hand  of  the  king, 
yet  he  is  an  old  soldier,  and  I  will  never  believe  that 
he  will  fight  against  the  will  of  the  people.  No,  it 
is  not  possible,  he  will  remember  the  old  cooper  of 
Saar-Louis,  who  would  break  his  head  with  his  ham- 
mer, if  he  were  still  living,  on  learning  that  Michel 
had  betrayed  the  country  in  order  to  please  the 
king." 

That  was  what  Mr.  Goulden  said,  but  that  did 
not  prevent  people  from  being  uneasy,  when  sud- 
denly the  news  arrived  that  he  had  followed  the  ex- 
ample of  the  army  and  the  bourgeoisie  and  all  those 
who  wished  to  be  rid  of  the  atonements,  and  that  he 


148  WATERLOO. 

had  rallied  with  them.  Then  there  was  greater 
confidence,  but  still  prudent  men  were  silent  in  view 
of  what  might  happen. 

"  On  the  21st  of  March,  between  five  and  six  in 
the  evening,  Mr.  Goulden  and  I  were  at  work ;  it  had 
begun  to  grow  dark,  and  Catherine  was  lighting  the 
lamp,  a  gentle  rain  was  falling  on  the  panes,  when 
Theodore  Roeber,  who  had  charge  of  the  telegraph, 
passed  under  our  windows,  riding  a  big  dapple-gray 
horse  at  the  top  of  his  speed,  his  blouse  filled  out  by 
the  air,  he  went  so  fast,  and  he  was  holding  his  great 
felt  hat  on  with  one  hand,  while  he  kept  striking  his 
horse  with  a  whip  which  he  held  in  the  other,  though 
he  was  galloping  like  the  wind.  Father  Goulden  wiped 
the  glass  and  leaned  over  to  see  better,  and  said : 

"  That  is  Roeber,  who  is  coming  from  the  telegraph, 
some  great  news  has  arrived."  His  pale  cheeks  red- 
dened, and  I  felt  my  heart  beat  violently.  Catherine 
came  and  placed  the  lamp  near  us,  and  I  opened  the 
window  to  close  the  shutter.  That  took  me  some 
moments,  as  I  was  obliged  to  disarrange  the  glasses 
on  the  work-table,  and  take  down  the  watches  before 
I  could  do  it.  Mr.  Goulden  seemed  lost  in  thought. 
Just  as  I  had  fastened  the  window,  we  heard  the  as- 
sembly beat  from  both  sides  of  the  city  at  once,  from 
the  bastion  of  the  Mittelbronn  and  from  Bigelberg, 


WATERLOO,  149 

the  echoes  from  the  ramparts  and  from  the  target 
valley  responded,  and  a  dull  rumbling  filled  the  air 
Mr.  Goulden  rose,  saying : 

"  The  matter  is  decided  at  last,"  in  a  tone  which 
made  me  shudder.  "  Either  they  are  fighting  near 
Paris,  or  the  Emperor  is  in  his  old  palace  as  he  was 
in  1809." 

Catherine  ran  for  his  cloak,  for  she  saw  plainly 
he  was  going  out  in  spite  of  the  rain.  He  was  speak 
ing  with  his  great  gray  eyes  wide  open,  and  took  no 
notice  as  she  slipped  on  the  sleeves,  and  as  he  went 
out  Catherine  touched  roe  on  the  shoulder — I  was  still 
sitting — and  said  : 

"  Go,  Joseph,  follow  him." 

We  reached  the  square  just  as  the  battalion  filed 
out  of  the  broad  street  at  the  corner  by  the  mayor's, 
behind  the  drummers,  who  had  their  drums  over  their 
shoulders.  A  great  crowd  followed  them.  When 
they  reached  the  great  lindens,  the  drums  recom- 
menced, and  the  soldiers  hurriedly  got  into  their  ranks, 
and  almost  immediately  the  Commandant  Gemeau, 
who  was  suffering  from  his  wounds  and  had  not  been 
out  for  two  months  appeared  on  the  steps  of  the 
"  Minque."  A  sapper  held  his  horse  by  the  bridle,  and 
gave  him  his  shoulder  to  mount.  Everybody  was 
looking  on,  and  the  roll  commenced. 


150  WATERLOO. 

The  commandant  crossed  the  square,  and  the  cap 
tains  went  quickly  up  to  meet  him ;  he  said  a  few 
words  to  them,  and  then  passed  in  front  of  the  battal 
ion,  followed  by  a  sergeant  with  three  chevrons,  who 
carried  a  flag  in  its  oil-cloth  case.  The  crowd  increas- 
ed every  moment.  Mr.  Goulden  had  mounted  on 
the  stone  posts  in  front  of  the  arch  of  the  guard-house. 
After  the  roll  was  called,  the  conmandant  waited  a 
moment  and  then  drew  his  sword  and  gave  the  order 
to  form  a  square.  I  tell  you  these  things  in  a  simple 
way,  because  they  were  simple  and  terrible. 

The  commandant  was  very  pale,  and  we  could  see, 
though  it  was  almost  night,  that  he  had  fever.  The 
gray  lines  of  soldiers  in  the  square,  the  commandant 
on  horseback,  the  officers  around  him  in  the  rain,  the 
listening  citizens,  the  profound  silence,  the  opening  of 
the  windows  in  the  vicinity,  all  are  present  to  my 
mini  though  fifty  years  have  passed  since  then. 
Not  a  word  was  said,  for  we  all  felt  that  we  were  go- 
ing to  learn  the  fate  of  France. 

"  Carry  arms  !  shoulder  arms  !" 

After  this  nothing:  was  heard  but  the  voice  of  the 
commandant,  that  voice  which  I  had  heard  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Rhine  at  Lutzen  and  Leipzig,  saying 

"  Close  the  ranks." 

The  words  went  through  my  very  marrow. 


WATERLOO.  151 

'*  Soldiers  !"  said  he, "  Louis  XYIII.  left  Paris  on 
the  20th  of  March,  and  the  Emperor  Napoleon  made 
his  entry  into  the  capital  the  same  day." 

A  sort  of  shiver  went  through  the  crowd,  but  it 
lasted  for  a  moment  only,  and  the  commandant  con- 
tinued: 

"  Soldiers,  the  flag  of  France  is  the  flag  of  Areola, 
of  Rivoli,  of  Alexandria,  of  Chebreisse,  of  the  Pyra- 
mids, of  Aboukir,  of  Marengo,  of  Austerlitz,  and  of 
Jena,  of  Eylau,  of  Friedland,  of  Sommo-Sierra,  of  Mad- 
rid, of  Abensberg,  ofEckmiil,  of  Essling,  of  Wagram, 
of  Smolensk,  of  Moscowa,  of  Weissenfels,  of  Lutzen, 
of  Bautzen,  of  Wurtschen,  of  Dresden,  of  Bischofs- 
warda,  of  Hanau,  of  Brienne,  of  Saint  Dizier,  of  Cham- 
paubert,  of  Chateau-Thierry,  of  Joinvilliers,  of  Mery- 
sur-Seine,  of  Montereau,  and  of  Montmirail.  It  is  the 
flag  which  we  have  dyed  with  our  blood,  and  it  is 
that  which  makes  it  our  glory." 

The  old  sergeant  had  drawn  the  torn  flag  from 
its  case,  and  the  commandant  continued : 

"  Here  is  the  flag !  you  recognize  it ;  it  is  the  flag  of 
the  nation,  it  is  that  flag  which  the  Russians  and  Ais- 
ti'ians  and  Prussians  took  from  us  on  the  day  of  their 
fi  ist  victory,  because  they  feared  it." 

A  great  number  of  the  old  soldiers,  on  hearing' 
these  words,  turned  away  their  heads  to  hide  their 


152  WATERLOO. 

tears  ;  while  others,  deathly  pale,  looked  and  listened 
with  flashing  eyes. 

"  I,"  said  the  commandant,  raising  his  swT>rd,"know 
no  other.      Vive  la  France!  Vive  V  Fmpereur  !" 

The  words  had  hardly  left  his  mouth  when  from 
every  window,  from  the  square,  from  the  streets,  rose 
the  shouts,"  Vive  la  France  !  Vive  I' Fmpereur  /"  like 
the  blast  of  a  trumpet.  The  people  and  the  sol- 
diers embraced  each  other,  you  would  have  thought 
that  every  thing  was  safe,  that  we  had  found  all  that 
France  lost  in  1814.  It  was  almost  dark,  and  the 
people  went  away  in  companies  of  threes,  sixes, 
and  twenties,  shouting,  "  Vive  V Fmpereur  /"  When 
near  the  hospital  a  red  flash  lighted  up  the  sky,  the 
cannon  thundered,  another  responded  from  the  rear 
of  the  arsenal,  and  so  they  continued  to  roar  from 

second  to  second. 
Mr.  Goulden  and  I  left  the  square  arm  in  arm,  crying 

11  Vive  P  Fmpereur/"  also,  and  as  at  each  discharge 

of  cannon  the  flash  lighted  up  the  square,  in  one  of 

them  we  saw  Catherine,  who  was  coming  to  meet  us 

with  old  Madelon  Schouler.     She  had  put  on  Ler 

little  cloak  and  hood,  protecting  her  rosy  little  nose 

from  the  mist,  and  she  exclaimed,  on  seeing  us : 

"  There  they  are,  Madelon  !  The  Emperor  is  master, 

is  he  not,  Mr.  Goulden?" 


WATERLOO.  153 

**  Yes,  my  child,"  he  replied,  "  it  is  decided." 

Catherine  took  my  arm,  and  I  kissed  her  two  or 
three  times  as  we  were  going  home.  Perhaps  I  felt 
that  we  should  soon  be  forced  to  part,  and  that  then 
it  would  be  long  before  I  should  kiss  her  again. 
Father  Goulden  and  Madelon  were  before  us,  and  he 
said: 

"  Come  up,  Madelon ;  I  want  to  drink  a  good  glass 
of  wine  with  you."  But  she  declined,  and  left  us  at 
the  door.  I  can  only  say  that  the  joy  of  the  people 
was  as  great  as  on  the  return  of  Louis  XVIII. ,  and 
perhaps  still  greater. 

Father  Goulden  took  off  his  cloak  and  sat  down 
in  his  place  at  table,  as  supper  was  waiting.  Cather- 
ine ran  down  to  the  cellar  and  brought  up  a  bottle  of 
good  wine,  we  laughed  and  drank  while  the  cannon 
made  our  windows  rattle.  Sometimes  people's  heads 
are  turned,  even  those  who  love  nothing  but  peace. 
So  the  sound  of  the  cannon  made  us  happy,  and  we 
went  back  in  a  measure  to  our  old  habits. 

"  The  commandant,"  said  Mr.  Goulden, "  spoke  well, 

but  he  might  have  kept  on  till  to-morrow  with  his 

victories,  commencing  with  Yalmy,  Hundschott,Wat- 

tignies,  Fleurus,  Neuwied,  Ukerath,  Froeschwiller 

Geisberg,  to  Zurich  and  Hohenlinden.     These  were 

also    great   victories,  and    even  the   most   splendid 
1* 


154  WATERLOO. 

of  all,  for  they  preserved  liberty.  He  only  spoke 
of  the  last  ones,  that  was  enough  for  the  moment. 
Let  those  people  come  !  let  them  dare  to  move !  The 
nation  wants  peace,  but  if  the  allies  commence  war 
woe  be  unto  them.  Now  we  shall  again  talk  of  liberty, 
equality,  and  fraternity.  All  France  will  be  roused 
by  it,  I  warn  you  beforehand.  There  will  be 
a  national  guard,  and  the  old  men  like  me  and 
the  married  men  will  defend  the  towns,  while  the 
younger  ones  will  march,  but  no  one  will  cross 
the  frontiers.  The  Emperor,  taught  by  experience, 
will  arm  the  artisans,  the  peasants,  and  the  bour- 
geoisie, and  when  we  are  attacked,  even  if  they 
are  a  million,  not  one  shall  escape.  The  day  for 
soldiers  is  past,  regular  armies  are  for  conquest, 
but  a  people  who  can  defend  themselves  do  not 
fear  the  best  armies  in  the  world.  We  proved 
that  to  the  Prussians  and  Austrians,  to  the  English 
and  the  Russians  from  1792  to  1800,  and  since 
then  the  Spaniards  have  shown  us  the  same  thing, 
and  even  before  that,  the  Americans  demonstrated  it 
to  the  English.  The  Emperor  will  speak  to  us  of 
Liberty,  be  sure  of  that ;  and  if  he  will  send  his  proc 
lamations  into  Germany,  many  Germans  will  be  with 
us ;  they  were  promised  liberty  in  order  to  make  them 
rise  against  France,  and  now  the  sovereigns  in  con- 


WATERLOO.  15£ 

ference  at  Vienna  mock  at  their  own  promises.  Their 
plan  is  fixed.  They  divide  the  people  among  them- 
selves as  they  would  a  flock  of  sheep.  Those  who 
have  good  sense  will  unite,  and  in  that  way  peace 
will  be  established  by  force.  The  kings  alone  have 
any  interest  in  war,  the  people  do  not  need  to  con- 
quer themselves,  provided  that  they  arrange  for  the 
freedom  of  commerce,  that  is  the  principal  thing." 

In  his  excitement  every  thing  looked  bright  to  him. 
And  all  that  he  said  seemed  to  me  so  natural,  that  I 
was  sure  that  the  Emperor  would  direct  matters  as 
he  had  supposed.  Catherine  believed  it  too.  We 
thanked  God  for  what  had  come,  and  about  eleven 
o'clock,  after  having  laughed  and  drank  and  shouted, 
we  went  to  bed  with  the  brightest  hopes.  All  the  city 
was  illuminated,  and  we  had  put  lamps  in  our  win- 
dows also.  Every  moment  we  heard  the  crackers  in 
the  street  and  the  children  were  shouting, "  Vive 
1'Empereur !"  and  the  soldiers  were  coming  out  of  the 
nns,  singing  "  Down  with  the  emigres."  This  lasted 
«ill  very  late,  and  it  was  one  o'clock  before  we  slept. 


156  WATERLOO 


XIII. 

This  general  satisfaction  continued  for  five  or  six 
days.  The  old  mayors  and  their  assistants  were  re- 
placed as  well  as  the  field-guards,  and  all  those  who  had 
been  displaced  a  few  months  before.  The  whole  city, 
even  the  women,  wore  little  tri-colored  cockades,  and 
all  the  seamstresses  were  busily  at  work  making  them} 
of  red,  white,  and  blue  ribbon ;  and  those  who  railed 
so  bitterly  against  the  "ogre  of  Corsica,"  never  spoke 
of  Louis  XVIII.  except  as  the  "  Pauada  King."  On 
the  25th  of  March  a  Te  Deum  was  sung,  the  garrison 
and  all  the  civil  authorities  joining  in  the  service 
with  great  ceremony. 

After  the  Te  Deum,  the  authorities  gave  a  grand 
dinner  to  the  officers  of  the  garrison  at  the  "  Ville 
de  Metz."  The  weather  was  fine  and  the  windows 
were  open,  and  the  hall  was  lighted  by  clusters  of 
lamps  hanging  from  the  ceiling.  Catherine  and  I  went 


WATERLOO.  157 

oat  in  the  evening  to  enjoy  the  spectacle.  We  could 
see  the  uniforms  and  the  black  coats  sitting  side  by- 
side  around  the  long  tables,  and  first  the  mayor 
would  rise,  and  then  his  assistants,  or  the  new  com- 
mandant of  the  post,  Mr.  Brancion,  to  drink  to  the 
health  of  the  Emperor  or  of  his  ministers,  of  France, 
to  peace  or  to  victory,  etc.,  etc.,  and  this  they  kept  up 
till  midnight. 

Inside  the  glasses  jingled,  and  outside  the  children 
fired  crackers.  They  had  erected  a  climbing  pole 
before  the  church,  and  wooden  horses  and  organ 
grinders  had  come  from  Saverne,  and  there  was  a 
holiday  at  the  college.  In  Klein's  Court,  at  the 
"  Ox,"  there  was  a  fight  between  dogs  and  donkeys ; 
in  short,  it  was  just  as  it  was  in  1830  and  in  1848, 
and  afterward.  The  people  never  invent  any  thing 
new  to  glorify  those  who  rise,  or  to  express  their 
contempt  for  those  who  fall. 

But  they  soon  found  out  that  the  Emperor  had  no 
time  to  lose  in  rejoicings.  The  gazette  said  that 
"  his  Majesty  wished  for  peace,  that  he  made  no  de- 
mands, that  he  was  on  good  terms  with  his  father- 
in-law  the  Emperor  Francis,  that  Marie  Louise  and 
the  King  of  Rome  were  to  return,  they  were  daily 
expected,"  etc. 

But  meanwhile  the  order  arrived  to  arm  the  place 


158  WATERLOO. 

Two  years  before  Pfalzbourg  was  a  hundred  leagues 
from  the  frontier.  The  ramparts  were  in  ruins,  the 
ditches  rilled  up,  and  there  was  nothing  in  the  ar- 
senal but  miserable  old  muskets  of  the  time  of  Louis 
XI V.,  which  were  discharged  with  matches;  and 
the  guns  were  so  unwieldly  on  their  heavy  carriages, 
that  horses  were  required  to  move  them.  The  ar- 
senals were  really  at  Dresden  and  Hamburg  and 
Erfurt ;  but  though  we  had  not  stirred,  we  were  ten 
leagues  from  Rhenish  Bavaria,  and  it  was  upon  us 
that  the  first  shower  of  bombs  and  bullets  would  fall. 
So,  day  after  day,  we  received  orders  to  restore  the 
earth-works  and  to  clear  out  the  ditches  and  to  put  the 
old  ordnance  in  good  condition.  At  the  beginning  of 
April  a  great  workshop  was  established  at  the  arsenal 
for  repairing  the  arms,  and  skillful  engineers  and  ar- 
tillerists arrived  from  Metz  to  repair  the  earth-works 
of  the  bastions  and  make  terraces  around  the  embra- 
sures. The  activity  was  very  great — greater  than  in 
1805  and  in  1813,  and  I  thought  more  than  once  that 
these  extensive  frontiers  had  their  good  side,  because 
we  might  in  the  interior  live  in  peace,  while  they 
took  the  blows  and  bombardments. 

But  we  had  great  anxiety,  for  naturally  when  the 
palisades  were  newly  planted  on  the  glacis,  and  the 
half-moons  filled  with  fascines,  when   cannon  were 


WATERLOO.  159 

placed  in  every  nook  and  corner,  we  knew  that  there 
must  be  soldiers  to  guard  and  serve  them. 

Often  as  we  heard  these  decrees  read  at  night, 
Catherine  and  I  looked  at  each  other  in  mute  appre- 
nension.  I  felt  beforehand  that  instead  of  remain- 
ing quietly  at  home,  cleaning  and  mending  clocks,  I 
would  be  obliged  to  be  again  on  the  march,  and  that 
always  made  me  sad ;  and  this  melancholy  increased 
from  day  to  day.  Sometimes  Father  Goulden,  seeing 
this,  would  say  cheerfully . 

"  Come  !  Joseph,  courage  !  all  will  come  right  at 
last." 

He  wished  to  raise  my  spirits,  but  I  thought : 
"  Yes,  he  says  that  to  encourage  me,  but  any  one 
who  is  not  blind  can  see  what  turn  affairs  will  take." 

Events  followed  each  other  so  rapidty,  that  the 
decrees  came  like  hail,  always  with  sounding  phrases 
and  grand  words  to  embellish  them. 

And  we  learned  too  that  the  regiments  were  to 
take  their  old  numbers,  "  illustrious  in  so  many  glo- 
rious campaigns."  Without  being  very  malicious, 
we  could  understand  that  the  old  numbers  which  had 
no  regiments  would  soon  find  them  again.  And  ne<, 
only  that,  but  we  learned  that  the  skeletons  of  the 
third,  fourth,  and  fifth  battalions  of  infantry,  the 
fourth  and  fifth  squadrons  of  cavalry,  and  thirty  bat* 


160  WATERLOO. 

talions  of  artillery  trains  were  to  be  filled  up,  and  twen- 
ty regiments  of  the  Young  Guard,  ten  battalions  of 
military  equipages,  and  tAventy  regiments  of  marines 
were  to  be  formed,  ostensibly  to  give  employment  to 
all  the  half-pay  officers  of  both  arms  of  the  service, 
land  and  naval.  That  was  very  well  to  say ;  but 
when  they  are  created  they  are  to  be  fiUed  up,  and 
when  they  are  full  the  soldiers  must  go.  When  I 
saw  that,  my  confidence  vanished,  but  yet  every- 
body cried,  "  Peace,  peace,  peace  !  We  accept  the 
treaty  of  Paris.  The  kings  and  emperors  convened 
at  Vienna  are  our  friends.  Marie  Louise  and  the 
King  of  Rome  are  coming." 

The  more  I  heard  of  these  things,  the  more  my 
distrust  increased.  In  vain  Mr.  Goulden  would  say, 
"  He  has  taken  Carnot  into  his  counsels.  Carnot  is 
a  good  patriot ;  Carnot  will  prevent  him  from  going 
to  war,  or  if  we  are  forced  to  go  to  war,  he  will  show 
him  that  the  enemy  must  come  here  to  find  us, 
the  nation  must  be  roused,  declare  the  country  in 
danger,  etc." 

In  vain  did  he  tell  me  these  things,  I  always  said 
to  myself,  "  all  these  new  regiments  are  to  be  filled ; 
that  is  certain."  We  heard  also  that  ten  thousand 
picked  men  were  to  be  added  to  the  Old  Guard,  and 
that  the  light  artillery  was  to  be  reorganized.    Every 


WATERLOO.  161 

body  knows  that  light  artillery  follows  the  army. 
To  remain  behind  the  ramparts  or  for  defense  at 
home,  it  is  useless. 

I  came  to  this  conclusion  at  once,  and  though  I 
was  generally  careful  to  conceal  my  anxiety  from 
Catherine,  yet  this  night  I  could  not  help  telling  her 
so.  She  said  nothing,  which  shows  plainly  that  she 
had  good  sense  and  that  she  thought  so  too. 

All  these  things  diminished  my  enthusiasm  for 
the  Emperor  very  much  indeed,  and  I  sometimes  said 
to  myself  as  I  was  at  work,  "I  would  rather  see 
processions  going  past  my  windows,  than  to  go  and 
fight  against  people  whom  I  never  saw."  At  least 
the  sight  would  cost  me  neither  leg  nor  arm,  and 
if  it  annoyed  me  too  much  I  could  make  an  excur- 
sion to  Quatre  Vents.  My  vexation  increased  the 
more,  as  since  the  dispute  with  Mr.  Goulden,  Aunt 
Gredel  did  not  come  to  see  us.  She  was  a  very  wil- 
ful woman  and  would  not  listen  to  reason,  and  would 
hold  resentment  against  a  person  for  years  and  years* 
But  she  was  our  mother,  aud  it  was  our  duty  to  yield 
something  to  her  as  she  wished  us  only  good.  But 
how  could  we  be  reconciled  to  her  ideas  and  those  of 
Mr.  Goulden  ? 

This  was  what  embarrassed  us,  for  if  we  were 
bound  to  love  Aunt  Gredel,  we  owed  also  the  most 


162  WATERLOO. 

profound  respect  to  him,  who  looked  upon  us  as  his 
own  children,  and  who  loaded  us  every  day  with  his 
benefits. 

These  thoughts  made  us  sad,  and  I  had  resolved  to 
tell  Mr.  Goulden,  that  Catherine  and  I  were  Jacobins 
like  himself,  but  without  doing  injustice  to  Jacobin 
ideas,  or  abandoning. them,  we  ought  to  honor  our 
mother,  and  go  and  inquire  after  her  health. 

I  did  not  know  how  he  would  receive  this  declara- 
tion, when  one  Sunday  morning,  as  we  went  down 
about  eight  o'clock,  we  found  him  dressed,  and  in  ex- 
cellent humor.  He  said  to  us,  "  Children,  here  it  is 
more  than  a  month  since  Aunt  Gredel  has  been  to 
p-32  us.  She  is  obstinate.  I  wish  to  show  her  that  I 
can  yield.  Between  friends  like  us,  there  should  not 
be  even  a  shadow  of  difference.  After  breakfast  we 
will  go  to  Quatre  Vents,  and  tell  her  that  she  is  prej- 
udiced, and  that  we  love  her  in  spite  of  her  faults. 
You  will  see  how  ashamed  she  will  be."  He  laugh- 
ed, but  we  were  quite  touched  by  his  generosity. 

"  Ah  !  Mr.  Goulden,  how  good  and  kind  you  are," 
said  Catherine,  "  they  who  do  not  love  you,  must 
have  very  bad  hearts." 

"  Ha !"  he  exclaimed,  "  is  not  what  I  have  done 
quite  natural?  must  we  let  a  few  words  separate  us? 
Thank  God!  a&e  teaches  us  to  be  more  reasonable 


WATERLOO.  163 

and  to  be  willing  to  take  the  first  step, — that  you 
know  is  one  of  the  principles  of  the  Rights  of  Man, — 
in  order  to  maintain  concord  between  reasonable 
persons." 

Every  thing  was  summed  up,  when  he  had  quoted 
the  "  Rights  of  Man."  You  can  hardly  imagine  our 
satisfaction.  Catherine  could  hardly  wait  till  break- 
fast was  over,  she  was  here  and  there  and  every- 
where, to  bring  his  hat  and  cane  and  his  shoes  and 
the  box  which  held  his  beautiful  peruke.  She  helped 
him  on  with  his  brown  coat,  while  he  laughed  as  he 
watched  her,  and  at  last  he  kissed  her  saying,  "  I 
knew  this  would  make  you  happy,  so  do  not  let  us 
lose  a  minute,  let  us  go." 

We  all  set  off  together,  Father  Goulden  gravely 
giving  his  arm  to  Catherine,  as  he  always  did  in  the 
street,  and  I  marched  on  behind  as  happy  as  possible. 
Those  I  loved  best  in  the  world  were  here  before  my 
eyes,  and  as  I  went  on  I  thought  of  what  I  should 
say  to  Aunt  Gredel. 

The  weather  was  splendid,  and  on  we  went  beyond 
the  wall  and  the  glacis,  and  in  twenty  minutes,  with- 
out hurrying,  we  stood  before  Aunt  Gredel's  door. 
It  might  have  been  ten  o'clock,  and  as  I  had  gained  a 
little  on  them  at  the  "  Roulette"  I  went  in  by  the 
alley  of  elders  that  ran  along  the  side  of  the  house,  an<3 


164  WATERLOO. 

looked  into  the  little  window  to  see  what  aunt  was 
doing.  She  was  seated  right  opposite  me  near  the 
fire-place,  in  which  a  little  fire  was  smoldering,  she 
had  on  her  short  skirt,  striped  with  blue,  with  great 
pockets  on  the  outside,  and  her  linen  corsage  with 
shoulder  straps,  and  her  old  shoes.  She  was  spinning 
away,  with  her  eyes  cast  down,  looking  very  sober, 
her  great  thin  arms  naked  to  the  elbow,  and  her 
gray  hair  twisted  up  in  her  neck  without  any  cap. 
"  Poor  Aunt  Gredel,"  thought  I,  "  she  is  thinking  of 
us  no  doubt — and  she  is  so  obstinate  in  her  vexation. 
It  is  sad  though,  all  the  same,  to  live  alone  and  never 
see  her  children."     It  made  me  sad  to  see  her. 

At  that  moment  the  door  opened  on  the  side  next 
the  street,  and  Father  Goulden  walked  in  with 
Catherine,  as  happy  as  possible,  exclaiming : 

"  Ha  !  Mother  Gredel,  you  do  not  come  to  see  us 
any  more,  therefore  I  have  brought  your  children  to 
see  you,  and  have  come  myself  to  embrace  you.  You 
will  have  to  get  us  a  good  dinner,  do  you  hear  ?  and 
that  will  teach  you  a  lesson."  He  seemed  a  little 
grave  with  all  his  joy. 

On  seeing  them,  aunt  sprang  up  and  embraced 
Catherine,  and  then  she  fell  into  Mr.  GoUlden's  arms 
and  hung  on  his  neck : 

"  Ah !  Mr.  Goulden,  how  happy  I  am  to  sec  you. 


AUNT   GREDEL. 


WATERLOO.  165 

You  are  a  good  man ;  you  are  worth  a  thousand  of 


me." 


Seeing  that  matters  had  taken  a  pleasant  turn, 
I  ran  round  to  the  door  and  found  them  both  with 
their  eyes  full  of  tears.     Father  Goulden  said : 

"  We  will  talk  no  more  politics !" 

"  No !  but  whether  one  is  Jacobin  or  any  thing  else 
you  will,  the  principal  thing  is  to  keep  in  good 
temper." 

She  then  came  and  embraced  me,  and  said : 

"  My  poor  Joseph !  I  have  been  thinking  of  you 
from  morning  till  night.  But  all  is  well  now  and  I 
am  satisfied." 

She  ran  into  the  kitchen  and  commenced  bustling 
among  the  kettles  to  prepare  something  to  regale  us 
with,  while  Mr.  Goulden  placed  his  cane  in  a  corner 
and  hung  his  great  hat  upon  it,  and  sat  down  with  an 
air  of  contentment  near  the  hearth. 

"What  fine  weather!"  he  exclaimed,  "how  green 
and  flourishing  every  thing  is  !  How  happy  I  should 
be  to  live  in  the  fields,  to  see  the  hedges  and  apple- 
trees  and  plum-trees  from  my  windows,  covered  wi  tb 
their  red  and  white  blossoms  !" 

He  was  gay  as  a  lark,  and  we  all  should  have  been 
except  for  the  thoughts  of  the  war  which  were  con* 
etantly  coming  into  our  heads. 


166  WATERLOO. 

"  Leave  all  that,  mother,"  said  Catherine,  "I  wil. 
get  the  dinner  to-day  as  I  used  to  do ;  go  and  sit  down 
quietly  with  Mr.  Goulden." 

"  But  you  do  not  know  where  any  thing  is,  I  have 
disarranged  every  thing,"  said  aunt. 

"  Sit  down,  I  beg  you,"  said  Catherine,  "  I  shall 
find  the  butter  and' the  eg-g-s  and  the  flour  and  everv 

CD  CD  * 

thing  that  is  necessary." 

"  Well,  well !  I  am  going  to  obey  you,"  said  she,  as 
she  went  down  to  the  cellar. 

Catherine  took  off  her  pretty  shawl  and  hung  it 
on  the  back  of  my  chair,  then  she  put  some  wood  on 
the  fire  and  some  butter  in  a  saucepan  and  looked 
into  the  kettles  to  see  that  every  thing  was  in  order. 
Aunt  came  in  at  that  moment  with  a  bottle  of  white 
wine. 

"You  will  first  refresh  yourselves  a  little  before 
dinner,  and  while  Catherine  looks  after  the  kitchen 
I  will  go  and  put  on  my  sacque  and  give  my  hair  a 
touch  with  the  comb,  for  certainly  it  needs  it,  and 
you — go  into  the  orchard ; — here,  Joseph,  take  these 
glasses  and  the  bottle  and  go  and  sit  in  the  bee-house, 
the  weather  is  fine,  in  an  hour  all  will  be  in  order 
and  I  will  come  and  drink  with  you." 

Father  Goulden  and  I  went  out  through  the  tall 
grass  and  the  vellow  dandelions  which  came  up  to 


WATERLOO.  167 

our  knees.  It  was  very  warm  and  the  air  was  full 
of  soft  murmurs.  We  sat  down  in  the  shade  and 
looked  at  the  glorious  sunshine. 

Mr.  Goulden  took  off  his  peruke  in  order  to  be 
more  at  his  ease  and  hung  it  up  behind  him,  and  I 
opened  the  bottle  and  we  drank  some  of  the  good 
white  wine. 

"  Well !  all  goes  on  even  though  man  does  commit 
follies ;  the  Lord  God  watches  over  all  his  works. 
Look  at  the  grain,  Joseph,  how  it  grows !  What  a 
harvest  there  will  be  in  three  or  four  months.  And 
those  turnips  and  cabbages,  and  the  shrubs,  and  the 
bees,  how  busy  every  thing  is,  how  they  live  and 
grow !  what  a  pity  it  is  that  men  do  not  follow  so 
good  an  example !  what  a  pity  that  some  must  labor 
to  support  the  others  in  idleness.  What  a  pity  that 
there  must  be  always  idlers  of  every  kind,  who  treat 
us  like  Jacobins  because  we  wish  for  order  and  peace 
and  justice !" 

There  was  nothing  he  liked  so  much  to  see  as  in- 
dustry, not  only  that  of  man  but  even  of  the  smallest 
insect  that  runs  about  in  the  grass,  as  in  an  endless 
forest,  which  builds  and  pairs  and  covers  its  eggs, 
heaps  them  up  in  its  places  of  deposit,  exposes  them 
to  the  sunshine,  protects  them  from  the  chills  of  night, 
and  defends  them  from  its  enemies ;  in  short,  all  that 


168  WATERLOO. 

great  universe  of  life  where  every  thing  sings,  every 
thing  is  in  its  place ;  from  the  lark  which  fills  the  ait 
with  his  joyous  music  to  the  ant  which  goes   and 
comes  and  runs  and  mows   and  saws  and  pulls  an 
is  master  of  all  trades. 

This  was  what  pleased  Mr.  Goulden,  but  he  never 
spoke  of  it  except  in  the  fields,  when  this  grand  specta- 
cle was  right  under  his  eyes,  and  naturally  he  then 
spoke  of  God,  whom  he  called  the  "  Supreme  Being," 
as  in  the  time  of  the  Republic,  and  he  said,  He  was 
reason  and  wisdom  and  goodness  and  love ;  justice, 
order,  and  life.    The  ideas  of  the  almanac-makers  came 
back  to  him  also,  and  it  was  splendid  to  hear  him 
talk  of  the  "  Pluviose"  the  season  of  rains,  of  "  Ni- 
vose"  the  season  of  snows,  of  "  Ventose"  season  of 
winds,  and  "Floreal,Prairial,  and  Fructidor."  He  said 
the  ideas  of  men  in  those  times  were  more  closely 
allied  to  God's,  while  July,  September,  and  October 
meant  nothing,  and  were  only  invented  to   confuse 
and  obscure  every  thing.     Once  on  this    subject  it 
was  plain  that  he  could  not  exhaust  it.      Unfortu 
nately  I  have  not  the  learning  that  that  good  man 
had,  otherwise  it  would  give  me  real   pleasure  to 
recount  his  sayings  to  you.    We  were  just  here  when 
Mother  Gredel,  well  washed  and  combed  and  in  her 
Sunday  dress,  came  round  the  corner  of  the  house  to 


WATERLOO.  16€ 

ward  us.     He  stopped  instantly  that  she  might  not 
be  disturbed. 

"  Here  I  am,"  she  said,  "  all  in  order." 

"  Sit  down,"  said  Father  Goulden,  making  a  place 
for  her  beside  him  on  the  bench. 

"  Do  you  know  what  time  it  is  ?"  said  she.  "  Does 
it  not  seem  long  to  you  ?  Listen  !"  and  we  heard  the 
city  clock  slowly  strike  twelve. 

"  What !  is  it  noon  already !  I  would  not  have  be 
lieved  that  we  had  been  here  more  than   ten  min- 
utes." 

"  Yes,  it  is  noon,  and  dinner  is  waiting." 

"  So  much  the  better,"  said  Mr.  Goulden,  offering  his 
arm  to  her,  "  since  you  have  told  me  the  hour  I  find 
I  have  a  good  appetite." 

They  went  along  the  alley  arm  in  arm,  and  when 
we  were  at  the  door  a  most  charming  sight  met  our 
eyes,  the  great  tureen  with  its  red  flowers  was  smok- 
ing on  the  table,  a  breast  of  stuffed  veal  filled  the 
room  with  a  delicious  odor.  A  great  plate  of  cinna- 
mon cakes  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  old  oak  buffet, 
two  bottles  of  wine,  and  glasses  clear  as  crystal,  shone 
on  the  white  cloth  beside  the  plates.  The  very  sight 
of  it  made  you  feel  that  it  is  the  joy  of  the  Lord  tc 
slower  blessings  on  his  children. 

Catherine,  with  her  rosy  cheeks   and  white  teeth, 


170  WATERLOO. 

laughed  tc  see  our  satisfaction,  and  during  the 
whole  dinner  our  anxiety  for  the  future  was  forgot- 
ten. We  laughed  and  were  as  happy  as  if  the 
world  were  in  the  best  condition  possible.  But 
as  we  were  taking  coffee  our  sadness  returned, 
and  without  knowing  why,  we  were  all  very  grave. 
Nobody  wishecf  to  speak  of  politics,  when  sudden- 
ly Aunt  Gredel  herself  asked  if  there  was  any  thing 
new.  Mr.  Goulden  then  said  that  the  Emperoi 
desired  peace,  and  that  he  wished  to  put  himself  in 
a  condition  of  defense,  in  order  to  warn  our  enemies 
that  we  were  not  afraid.  He  said  that  in  any  case,  in 
spite  of  the  ill  feeling  of  the  allies  they  would  not 
dare  to  attack  us,  that  the  Emperor  Francis,  though 
he  had  not  much  heart,  would  not  wish  to  overthrow 
his  son-in-law  and  his  own  daughter  and  grandson 
a  second  time,  that  it  would  be  contrary  to  nature, 
and  beside  that,  the  nation  would  rise  en  masse,  that 
they  would  declare  the  country  to  be  in  danger,  and 
that  it  would  not  be  a  war  of  soldiers  alone,  but  of  all 
Frenchmen  against  those  who  wished  to  oppress  them, 
that  this  would  make  the  allied  sovereigns  reflect, 
etc.,  etc. 

He  said  many  other  things  which  I  do  not  recall. 
Aunt  Gredel  listened  without  saying  a  ^  ord.  She 
rose  at  last,  and  went  to  a  closet  and  took  a  piecf 


WATERLOO.  171 

of  paper   from   a   porringer,  and,  giving  it  to  Mi 
Goulden,  said,  "  Read  this ;  such  papers  are  all  around 
the  country ;  this  came  to  me  from  the  vicar  Diemer. 
You  will  see  whether  peace  is  so  certain." 

As  Mr.  Goulden  had  left  his  spectacles  at  home,  I 
read  the  paper.  I  put  all  those  old  papers  aside 
years  and  years  ago,  they  have  grown  yellow  and  no 
one  thinks  of  them  or  speaks  of  them,  and  still  it 
is  well  to  read  them.  How  do  we  know  what  will 
happen?  Those  old  kings  and  emperors  died  after 
doing  us  all  the  harm  possible,  but  their  sons  and 
grandsons  still  live,  and  do  not  wish  us  overmuch 
good,  and  that  which  they  said  then  they  may  say 
again  now,  and  those  who  lent  their  aid  to  the  fathers 
might  incline  to  help  their  sons.     Here  is  the  paper. 

"  The  Allied  Powers  which  signed  the  treaty  of  Paris,  assembled 
in  Congress  at  Vienna,  having  been  informed  of  the  escape  of  Na- 
poleon Bonaparte,  and  of  his  entrance  into  France  with  arms  in 
his  hands,  owe  it  to  their  diginity  and  to  the  interest  of  social  order 
to  make  a  solemn  declaration  of  the  sentiments  which  this  event 
has  excited.  In  violating  the  terms  of  the  convention  which  placed 
him  at  Elba,  Bonaparte  destroyed  his  only  legal  title  to  life  ;  and 
in  reappearing  in  Prance  with  projects  for  disturbing  the  public 
peace,  he  has  deprived  himself  of  the  protection  of  the  laws,  and 
made  it  manifest  to  the  universe  that  there  can  be  neither  truce  nor 
peace  with  him." 

And  so  they  continued  through  two  long  pages 


172  WATERLOO. 

and  those  people  who  had  nothing  in  common  with 
us,  who  had  no  concern  with  our  affairs,  and  whc 
gave  themselves  the  title  of  Defenders  of  the  Peace, 
finished  by  declaring  that  they  united  themselves  to 
maintain  the  treaty  of  Paris  and  replace  Louis  XVIII. 
on  the  throne. 

When  I  had  finished,  aunt  turned  to  Mr.  Goulden 
and  asked : 

"  What  do  you  think  of  all  that  ?" 

"  I  think,"  said  he,  "that  those  sovereigns  despise  the 
people,  and  that  they  would  exterminate  the  human 
race  without  shame  or  pity  in  order  to  maintain 
fifteen  or  twenty  families  in  luxury.  They  look  upon 
themselves  as  gods,  and  upon  us  as  brutes." 

"  Doubtless,"  replied  Aunt  Gredel.  "  I  do  not  deny 
it,  but  all  that  will  not  prevent  Joseph  from  being 
comp  elled  to  go  away." 

I  turned  quite  pale,  for  I  saw  that  she  was  right. 

"  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Goulden,  "  I  knew  that  some  days 
ago,  and  this  is  what  I  have  done.  You  have  heard 
no  doubt,  Mother  Gredel,  that  great  workshops  have 
l>een  built  for  repairing  arms.  There  is  an  arsenal  at 
Pfalzbourg,  but  they  are  in  want  of  skillful  workmen. 
Of  course  the  o;ood  laborers  render  as  much  service  to 
the  state  in  repairing  arms  as  those  who  go  to  oattle ; 
they  have  more  to  do,  but  they  do  not  risk  their  lives. 


WATERLOO.  173 

and  they  remain  at  home.  Well !  I  went  at  once  to 
the  commandant  of  artillery,  and  asked  him  to  accept 
Joseph  as  a  workman.  It  is  nothing  for  a  good 
clDck-maker  to  repair  a  gun-lock,  and  Mr.  Montravel 
accepted  him  at  once.  Here  is  his  order,"  said  he, 
showing  us  a  paper  which  he  took  from  his  pocket. 

I  felt  as  if  I  had  returned  to  life,  and  1  exclaimed, 
"  Oh !  Mr.  Goulden,  you  are  more  than  a  father ; 
you  have  saved  my  life." 

Catherine,  who  had  been  overwhelmed  with  anxi- 
ety, got  up  and  went  out,  and  Aunt  Gredel  kissed 
Mr.  Goulden  twice  over,  and  said,  "  Yes,  you  are  the 
best  of  men,  a  man  of  sense  and  of  a  great  spirit.  If 
all  Jacobins  were  like  you,  women  would  wish  only 
for  Jacobins." 

"  But  it  was  the  most  simple  thing  in  the  world  to 
to  do  !" 

"  No,  no  ;  it  is  your  good  heart  which  gives  you 
good  thoughts." 

Words  failed  me  in  my  joy  and  astonishment,  and 
while  aunt  was  speaking  I  went  out  into  the  or- 
chard to  take  the  air.  Catherine  was  there  in  a 
corner  of  the  bake-house,  weeping  hot  tears. 

*■  Ah  !  now  I  can  breathe  again,"  she  said,  "  now  1 
can  live." 

I  embraced  her  with  deep  emotion.     I  saw  whal 


174  WATERLOO. 

she  had  suffered  during  the  last  mouth,  but  she  was 
a  brave  woman,  and  had  concealed  her  anxiety  from 
me,  knowing  that  I  had  enough  on  my  own  account. 
We  staid  for  ten  minutes  in  the  orchard  to  wipe 
away  our  tears,  and  then  went  in.  Mr.  Goulden 
said: 

"  Well,  Joseph  !  you  go  to-morrow ;  you  must  set 
off  early,  and  you  will  not  lack  work." 

Oh !  what  joy  to  think  I  should  not  be  com 
pelled  to  go  away,  and  then  too  I  had  other  reasons 
for  wishing  to  remain  at  home,  for  Catherine  and  I 
already  had  our  hopes.  Ah  !  those  who  have  not 
suffered  can  not  realize  our  feelings,  nor  understand 
what  a  weight  this  good  news  lifted  from  our  hearts. 
We  staid  an  hour  longer  at  Quatre  Yents,  and  as 
the  people  were  coming  from  vespers,  at  nightfall, 
we  set  off  for  the  town.  Aunt  Gredel  went  with  us 
to  where  the  post  changes  horses,  and  at  seven 
o'clock  we  were  at  home  a^ain. 

It  was  thus  that  peace  was  established  between 
Aunt  Gredel  and  Mr.  Goulden,  and  now  she  came  to 
see  us  as  often  as  before.  I  went  every  day  to  the 
arsenal  and  worked  at  repairing  the  guns.  When  the 
clock  struck  twelve  I  went  home  to  dinner,  and  at 
one  returned  to  my  work  and  staid  until  seven 
o'clock.    I  was  at  once  soldier  and  workman,  exeuseo 


WATERLOO.  175 

from  roll-call  but  overwhelmed  with  woik.  We 
hoped  that  I  could  remain  in  that  position  till  the 
war  was  over,  if  unfortunately  it  commenced  again, 
tr.it  we  were  sure  of  nothing. 


176  WATERLOO. 


XIV. 

Our  confidence  returned  a  little  after  I  worked  al 
the  arsenal,  but  still  we  were  anxious,  for  hundreds 
of  men  on  furloughs  for  six  months,  conscripts,  and 
old  soldiers  enlisted  for  one  campaign,  passed  through 
the  town  in  citizens'  clothes  but  with  knapsacks  on 
their  backs.  They  all  shouted  "  Vive  V Empereur  !" 
and  seemed  to  be  furious.  In  the  great  hall  of  the 
town-house  they  received  one  a  cloak,  another  a 
shako,  and  others  epaulettes  and  gaiters  and  shoes, 
at  the  expense  of  the  department,  and  off  they  went, 
and  I  wished  them  a  pleasant  journey.  All  the 
tailors  in  town  were  making  uniforms  by  contract, 
the  gendarmes  gave  up  their  horses  to  mount  tho 
cavalry,  and  the  mayor,  Baron  Parmentier,  urged 
the  young  men  of  sixteen  and  seventeen  to  join  the 
partisans  of  Colonel  Bruce,  who  defended  the  defile? 
of  the  Zorne,  the  Zinselle,  and  the  Saar. 


WATERLOO.  177 

The  baron  was  going  to  the  "  Champ  de  Mai," 
and  his  enthusiasm  redoubled.  "  Go !"  cried  he, 
"  courage  !"  as  he  spoke  to  them  of  the  Romans  who 
fought  for  their  country.  I  thought  to  myself  as  I 
listened  to  him,  "  If  you  think  all  that  so  beautiful 
why  do  you  not  go  yourself." 

You  can  imagine  with  what  courage  I  worked  at 
the  arsenal ;  nothing  was  too  much  for  me.  I  would 
have  passed  night  and  day  in  mending  the  guns  and 
adjusting  the  bayonets  and  tightening  the  screws. 
When  the  commandant,  Mr.  Montravel,  came  to  see 
us,  he  praised  me. 

"  Excellent !"  said  he,  "that  is  good !  I  am  pleased 
with  you,  Bertha." 

These  words  filled  me  with  satisfaction,  and  I  did 
not  fail  to  report  them  to  Catherine,  in  order  to  raise 
her  spirits.  We  were  almost  certain  that  Mr.  Mon- 
travel would  keep  me  at  Pfalzbourg. 

The   gazettes  were  full  of  the   new  constitution5 

which  they  called  the  "Additional  Act,"  and   the 

act  of  the  "  Champ  de  Mai."     Mr.  Gouldcn  always 

had  something  to  say,  sometimes  about  one  article 

and  sometimes  another,  but  I  mixed  no  more  in  these 

affairs,  and  repented  of  having  complained  of  the 

processions  and  expiations ;  I  had  had  enough  of 

politics. 
8* 


178  WATERLOO. 

This  lasted  till  the  23d  of  May.  That  morning 
about  ten  o'clock  I  was  in  the  great  hall  of  the  ar- 
senal, filling  the  boxes  with  guns.  The  great  door 
was  wide  open,  and  the  men  were  waiting  with  their 
wagons  before  the  bullet  park,  to  load  up  the  boxes. 
I  had  nailed  the  last  one,  when  Robert,  the  guard, 
touched  me  on  the  shoulder  and  said  in  my  ear : 

"  Bertha,  the  Commandant  Montravel  wishes  tc 
Fee  you.     He  is  in  the  pavilion." 

"  What  does  he  want  of  me  ?" 

"  I  do  not  know." 

I  was  afraid  directly,  but  I  went  at  once.  I  crossed 
the  grand  court,  near  the  sheds  for  the  gun-car- 
riages, mounted  the  stairs,  and  knocked  softly  at 
the  door. 

"  Come  in,"  said  the  commandant. 

I  opened  the  door  all  in  a  tremble,  and  stood  with 
my  cap  in  my  hand.  Mr.  Montravel  was  a  tall, 
brown,  thin  man,  with  a  little  stoop  in  his  shoulders. 
Pie  was  walking  hastily  up  and  down  his  room,  ii 
the  midst  of  his  books  and  maps,  and  arms  hung  on 
he  wall. 

"  Ah !  Bertha,  it  is  you,  is  it  ?  I  have  disagreeable 
news  to  tell  you,  the  third  battalion  to  which  you  be- 
long leaves  for  Metz." 

On  hearing  this  my  heart  sank,  and  I  could  not  say 


WAT 'EEL  00.  179 

a  -vord.     He  looked  at  me,  and  after  a  moment  he 
added : 

"Do  not  be  troubled,  you  have  been  married  for 
several  months,  and  you  are  a  good  workman,  and 
that  deserves  consideration.  You  will  give  this  let- 
ter to  Colonel  Desmichels  at  the  arsenal  at  Metz; 
he  is  one  of  my  friends,  and  will  find  employment  in 
some  of  his  workshops  for  you,  you  may  be  certain." 

I  took  the  letter  which  he  handed  me,  thanked 
him,  and  went  home  filled  with  alarm.  Zebede,  Mr. 
Goulden,  and  Catherine  were  talking:  tog-ether  in  the 
shop,  distress  was  written  on  every  face.  They  knew 
every  thing.  "  The  third  battalion  is  going,"  I  said 
as  I  entered,  "  but  Mr.  Montravel  has  just  given  me 
a  letter  to  the  director  of  the  arsenal  at  Metz.  Do 
not  be  anxious,  I  shall  not  make  the  campaign." 

I  was  almost  choking.  Mr.  Goulden  took  the  let- 
ter and  said,  "  It  is  open  we  can  read  it." 

Then  he  read  the  letter,  in  which  Mr.  Montravel 
recommended  me  to  his  friend,  saying  that  I  was 
married,  a  good  workman,  industrious,  and  that  I 

could  render  real  service  at  the  arsenal.     He  could 

i 

have  said  nothing  better. 

"  Now  the  matter  is  certain,"  said  Zebede. 

"  Yes,  you  will  be  retained  in  the  arsenal  at  Metz," 
said  Father  Goulden. 


180  WATERLOO. 

Catherine  was  very  pale,  she  kissed  me  and  said. 
*'  What  happiness,  Joseph !" 

They  all  pretended  to  believe  that  I  should  remain 
at  Metz,  and  I  tried  to  hide  my  fears  from  them. 
But  the  effort  almost  suffocated  me,  and  I  could  hard- 
ly avoid  sobbing,  when  happily  I  thought  I  would 
go  and  announce  the  news  to  Aunt  Gredel.  So  I 
said,  "  Although  it  will  not  be  very  long,  and  I  shall 
stay  in  Metz,  yet  I  must  go  and  tell  the  good  news 
to  Aunt  Gredel.  I  will  be  back  between  five  and  six, 
and  Catherine  will  have  time  to  prepare  my  haversack, 
and  we  will  have  supper." 

"  Yes,  Joseph,  go  !"  said  Father  Goulden.  Cath- 
erine said  not  a  word,  for  she  could  hardly  restrain 
her  tears.  I  set  off  like  a  madman.  Zebede,  who 
was  returning  to  the  barracks,  told  me  at  the  door, 
that  the  officer  in  charge  at  the  town-house  would 
give  me  my  uniform,  and  that  I  must  be  there  about 
five  o'clock.  I  listened,  as  if  in  a  dream,  to  his  words, 
and  ran  till  I  was  outside  of  the  city.  Once  on  the 
glacis  I  ran  on  without  knowing  where,  in  the  trenches, 
and  by  the  Trois-Chateaux  and  the  Baraques-a-en- 
haut,  and  along  the  forest  to  Quatre  Yents. 

I  can  not  describe  to  you  the  thoughts  that  ran 
through  my  brain.  I  was  bewildered,  and  wanted 
to  run  away  to  Switzerland.     But  the  worst  of  ali 


WATERLOO.  181 

was  when  I  approached  Quatre  Vents  "by  the  path 
along  the  Daun.  It  was  about  three  o'clock.  Aunt 
Gredel  was  putting  up  some  poles  for  her  beans,  in 
the  rear  of  the  garden,  and  she  saw  me  in  the  distance 
and  said  to  herself: 

"  Why  it  is  Joseph !  what  is  he  doing  in  the  grain." 

But  when  I  got  into  the  road,  which  was  full  of  ruts 
and  sand  and  which  the  sun  made  as  hot  as  a  furnace, 
I  went  on  more  slowly  with  my  head  bent  down,  think- 
ing I  should  never  dare  to  go  in,  when,  suddenly 
aunt  exclaimed  from  behind  the  hedge,  "  Is  it  you, 
Joseph  ?" 

Then  I  shivered.     "  Yes,  it  is  I." 

She  ran  out  into  the  little  elder  alley,  and  seeing  mi 
so  pale  she  said,  "  I  know  why  you  have  come,  you 
are  going  away  I" 

"  Yes,"  I  replied,  "  the  others  are  going,  but  I  am 
to  stay  in  Metz  ;  it  is  very  fortunate." 

She  said  nothing,  and  we  went  into  the  kitchen, 
which  was  very  cool  compared  with  the  hfat  outside. 
She  sat  down,  and  I  read  her  the  commandant's  let- 
ter. She  listened  to  it,  and  repeated,  "  Yes,  it  is  very 
fortunate." 

And  we  sat  and  looked  at  each  other  without 
speaking  a  word,  and  then  she  took  my  head  be- 
tween her  hands  and  kissed  me,  and  embraced  me 


182  WATERLOO. 

for  a  long  time,  and  I  could  see  she  was  crying, 
though  she  did  not  say  a  word. 

"  You  weep,"  said  I,  "  but  since  I  am  to  stay  in 
Metz !" 

Still  she  did  not  speak,  but  went  and  brought  some 
wine.  I  took  a  glass,  and  she  asked,  "  What  does 
Catherine  say  ?" 

"  She  is  glad  that  I  am  to  remain  at  the  arsenal ; 
-and  Mr.  Goulden  also." 

"  That  is  well ;  and  are  they  preparing  what  you 
need  ?" 

"Yes,  Aunt  Gredel,  and  I  must  be  at  the  city  hall 
before  fire  o'clock  to  receive  my  uniform." 

"  Well !  then  you  must  go ;  kiss  me,  Joseph.  I 
will  not  go  with  you.  I  do  not  wish  to  see  the  bat- 
talion leave — I  will  stay  here.  I  must  live  a  long 
while  yet — Catherine  has  need  of  me — "  here  her 
restraint  gave  way. 

Suddenly  she  checked  herself,  and  said,  "  At  what 
time  do  you  leave  ?" 

"To-morrow,  at  seven  o'clock,  Mamma  Gredel." 

11  Well !  at  eight  o'clock  I  will  be  there.  You  will 
be  far  away,  but  you  will  know  that  the  mother  of 
your  wife  is  there,  that  she  will  take  care  of  hei 
daughter,  that  she  loves  you,  that  she  has  only  you 
in  the  whole  world." 


WATERLOO.  183 

The  courageous  woman  sobbed  aloud  ;  she  accom- 
panied me  to  the  door,  and  I  left  her.  It  seemed  as 
if  I  had  not  a  drop  of  blood  left  in  my  veins.  Just 
as  the  clock  struck  five  I  reached  the  town-house.  I 
v^ent  up  and  saw  that  hall  again  where  I  had  lost, 
aat  cursed  hall  where  everybody  drew  unlucky 
numbers.  I  received  a  cloak  and  coat,  pantaloons, 
gaiters,  and  shoes.  Zebede,  who  was  waiting  for  me, 
told  one  of  the  musketeers  to  take  them  to  the  mess- 
room. 

"  You  will  come  early  and  put  them  on,"  said  he ; 
"  your  musket  and  knapsack  have  been  in  the  rack 
since  morning." 

"  Come  with  me,"  said  I. 

" No,  I  can  not,  the  sight  of  Catherine  breaks  my 
heart ;  and  beside  I  must  stay  with  my  father.  Who 
knows  whether  I  shall  find  the  old  man  alive  at  the 
end  of  a  year?  I  promised  to  take  supper  with 
you,  but  I  shall  not  go." 

I  was  obliged  to  go  home  alone.  My  haversack 
was  all  ready ;  my  old  haversack,  the  only  thing  I 
had  saved  from  Hanau,  as  my  head  rested  on  it  in 
the  wagon.  Mr.  Goulden  was  at  work.  He  tui  rivd 
round  without  speaking,  and  I  asked,  "  Where  is 
Catherine  ?" 

"  She  is  up-stairs." 


184  WATERLOO. 

I  knew  she  was  crying,  and  I  wanted  to  go  up 
but  my  legs  and  my  courage  both  failed  me. 

I  told  Mr.  Goulden  of  my  visit  to  Quatre  Vents, 
and  then  we  sat  and  waited,  thinking,  without  daring 
to  look  each  other  in  the  face.  It  was  already  dark 
when  Catherine  came  down.  She  laid  the  table  in 
the  twilight,  and  then  I  took  her  hand,  and  made  hei 
sit  down  on  my  knee,  and  we  remained  so  for  half  an 
Lour. 

Then  Mr.  Goulden  asked : 

"  Is  not  Zebede  coming  ?" 

"  No,  he  can  not  come." 

"  Well !  let  us  take  our  supper  then." 

But  no  one  was  hungry.  Catherine  removed  the 
table  about  nine  o'clock,  and  we  all  retired.  It  was 
the  most  terrible  night  I  ever  passed  in  my  life. 
Catherine  was  in  a  deathly  swoon.  I  called  her,  but 
she  did  not  answer.  At  midnight  I  wakened  Mr. 
Goulden,  and  he  dressed  himself  and  came  up  to  our 
chamber.  We  gave  her  some  sugar-water,  when  she 
revived  and  got  up.  I  can  not  tell  you  every  thing  ;  I 
only  know  that  she  sank  at  my  feet  and  begged  me 
not  to  abandon  her,  as  if  I  did  it  voluntarily  I  but 
she  was  crazed.  Mr.  Goulden  wanted  to  call  a  doc- 
tor, but  I  prevented  him.  Toward  morning  she  re- 
covered entirely,  and  after  a  long  fit  of  weeping,  she 


WATERLOO.  185 

fell  asleep  in  my  arms.     I  did  not  even  dare  to  em 
brace  her,  and  we  went  out  softly  and  left  her. 

When  we  feel  all  the  miseries  of  life,  we  exclaim : 
"  Why  are  we  in  the  world  ?  Why  did  we  not  sleep 
through  the  eternal  ages.  What  have  we  done,  that 
we  must  see  those  we  love  suffer,  when  we  are  not  in 
fault  ?  It  is  not  God,  but  man,  who  breaks  our 
hearts." 

After  we  went  down-stairs  Mr.  Goulden  said  to 
me,  "  She  is  asleep,  she  knows  nothing  of  it  all, 
and  that  is  a  blessing ;  you  will  go  before  she  wakes." 
I  thanked  God  for  His  goodness,  and  we  sat  waiting 
for  the  least  sound,  till  at  last  the  drums  beat  the 
assembly.  Then  Mr.  Goulden  looked  at  me  very 
gravely,  we  rose,  and  he  buckled  my  knapsack  on  my 
shoulders  in  silence. 

At  last  he  said :  "  Joseph,  go  and  see  the  com- 
mandant in  Metz,  but  count  upon  nothing ;  the  dan- 
ger is  so  great  that  France  has  need  of  all  her 
children  for  her  defense,  and  this  time  it  is  not  a 
question  of  acquiring  from  others,  but  of  saving  our 
own  country.  Remember  that  it  is  yourself  and 
your  wife  and  all  that  is  dearest  to  you  in  the  world 
that  is  at  stake."  We  went  down  to  the  street  in 
silence,  embraced  each  other,  and  then  I  went  to  the 
barracks.     Zebede  took  me  to  the  mess-room  and  I 


186  WATERLOO. 

put  on  my  uniform.  All  that  I  remember  after  so 
many  years  is,  that  Zebede's  father,  who  was  there, 
took  my  clothes  and  made  them  into  a  bundle  and 
said  he  would  take  them  home  after  our  departure ; 
and  the  battalion  filed  out  by  the  little  rue  de 
Lanche  through  the  French  gate.  A  few  children 
ran  after  us,  and  the  soldiers  on  guard  r  resented 
arms ;  we  were  en  route  for  Waterloo, 


WATERLOO,  187 


XV. 

At  Sarrebourg  we  received  tickets  for  lodgings. 
Mine  was  for  the  old  printer  Jarcisse,  who  knew  Mr* 
Goulden  and  Aunt  Gredel,  and  who  made  me  dine  at 
his  table  with  my  new  comrade  and  bedfellow,  Jean 
Buche,  the  son  of  a  wood-cutter  of  Harberg,  who  had 
never  eaten  any  thing  but  potatoes  before  he  was  con- 
scripted. He  devoured  every  thing,  even  to  the  bones 
that  they  set  before  us.  But  I  was  so  melancholy, 
that  to  hear  him  crunch  the  bones  made  me  nervous. 
Father  Jarcisse  tried  to  console  me,  but  every  word 
le  said  only  increased  my  pain.  We  passed  the 
remainder  of  that  day  and  the  following  night  at 
Sarrebourg.  The  next  day  we  kept  on  our  route  to 
the  village  of  Mezieres,  the  next  to  the  Vic,  and  on 
to  Soigne,  till  on  the  fifth  day  we  came  to  Metz.  I  do 
not  need  to  tell  you  of  our  march,  of  the  soldiers 
white  with  dust,  how  we  passed  )ne  magazine  after 


188  WATERLOO. 

another,  with  our  knapsacks  on  our  backs,  and  our 
guns  carried  at  will,  talking,  laughing,  looking  at  the 
young  girls  as  we  passed  through  the  villages,  at  th* 
carts,  the  manure  heaps,  the  sheds,  the  hills,  and  th»* 
valleys,  without  troubling  ourselves  about  any  thing. 
And  when  one  is  sad  and  has  left  his  wife  at  home, 
and  dear  friends  too,  whom  he  may  never  see  again, 
all  these  pass  before  his  eyes  like  shadows,  and  a 
hundred  steps  more  and  they  too  are  unthought  of. 
But  yet  the  view  of  Metz,  with  its  tall  cathedral  and 
its  ancient  dwellings,  and  its  frowning  ramparts 
awakened  me.  Two  hours  before  we  arrived,  we  kept 
thinking  we  should  soon  reach  the  earth-works,  and 
hastened  our  steps  in  order  the  sooner  to  get  into 
the  shade.  I  thought  of  Colonel  Desmichels,  and 
had  a  little — very  little,  hope.  "  If  fate  wills !"  I 
thought,  and  I  felt  for  my  letter. 

Zebede  did  not  talk  to  me  now,  but  from  time  to 
time  he  turned  his  head  and  looked  back  at  me.  It 
was  not  exactly  as  it  was  in  the  old  campaign,  he 
was  sergeant,  and  I  only  a  common  soldier ;  we  loved 
each  other  always,  but  that  made  a  difference  of 
course.  Jean  Buche  marched  along  beside  me,  with 
his  round  shoulders  and  his  feet  turned  in  like  a 
wolf.  The  only  thing  he  said  from  time  to  time  was, 
that  his  shoes  hurt  him  on  the  march,  and  that  they 


WATERLOO.  189 

should  only  be  worn  on  parade.  During  two  months 
the  drill-sergeant  had  not  been  able  to  make  him  turn 
out  his  toes,  or  to  raise  his  shoulders,  but  for  all  that 
he  could  march  terribly  well  in  his  own  fashion,  and 
without  being  fatigued.  At  last  about  five  in  the 
afternoon,  we  reached  the  outposts.  They  soon 
recognized  us,  and  the  captain  of  the  guard  himself 
exclaimed,  "  Pass !"  The  drums  rolled,  and  we  en- 
tered the  oldest  town  I  had  ever  seen. 

Metz  is  at  the  confluence  of  the  Seille  and  the 
Moselle.  The  houses  are  four  or  five  stories  high; 
their  old  walls  are  full  of  beams  as  at  Saverne  and 
Bouxviller,  the  windows  round  and  square,  great 
and  small,  on  the  same  line,  with  shutters  and  with- 
out, some  with  glass  and  some  without  any.  It  is 
as  old  as  the  mountains  and  rivers.  The  roofs 
project  about  six  feet,  spreading  their  shadows  over 
the  black  water,  in  which  old  shoes,  rags,  and  dead 
dogs  are  floating.  If  you  look  upward  you  will 
be  sure  to  see  the  face  of  some  old  Jew  at  the 
windows  in  the  roof,  with  his  gray  beard  and  crook- 
ed nose,  or  a  child  who  is  risking  his  neck.  Prop- 
erly speaking,  it  is  a  city  of  Jews  a*ud  soldiers. 
Poor  people  are  not  wanting  either.  It  is  much 
worse  in  this  respect  than  at  Mayence,  or  at  Stras- 
bourg,  or  even   at  Frankfort.     If  they  have  not 


190  WATERLOO. 

changed  since  then,  they  love  their  ease  now.  Id 
spite  of  my  sadness  I  could  not  help  looking  at  these 
lanes  and  alleys.  The  town  swarmed  with  national 
guards ;  they  were  arriving  from  Longwy,  from  Sarre- 
louis  and  other  places  ;  the  soldiers  left  and  were  re- 
placed by  these  guards. 

We  came  upon^  a  square  encumbered  with  beds 
and  mattresses,  bedding,  etc.,  which  the  citizens 
had  furnished  for  the  troops.  We  stacked  arms  in 
front  of  the  barracks,  every  window  of  which  was 
open  from  top  to  bottom.  We  waited,  thinking  we 
should  be  lodged  there,  but  at  the  end  of  twenty 
minutes  the  distribution  commenced,  and  each  man 
received  twenty-five  sous  and  a  ticket  for  lodging. 
We  broke  rank,  each  one  going  his  own  way.  Jean 
Buche  who  had  never  seen  any  other  town  than 
Pfalzbonrg  did  not  leave  me  for  a  moment.  Our 
ticket  was  for  Elias  Meyer,  butcher,  in  the  rue  St. 
Yalery.  When  we  reached  the  house  the  butcher 
was  cutting  meat  in  the  arched  and  grated  window 
and  was  any  thing  but  pleased  to  see  us,  and  received 
us  very  ungraciously.  He  was  a  fat,  red,  round-faced 
Jew,  with  silver  rings  on  his  fingers  and  in  his  ears. 
His  thin,  yellow-skinned  wife  came  down  exclaiming 
that  they  had  "  had  lodgers  for  two  nights  before, 
that  the  mayor's  secretary  did  it  on  purpose,  that  he 


WATERLOO.  191 

sent  soldiers  every  day,  and  that  the  neighbors  did 
not  have  them,"  and  so  on. 

But  they  allowed  us  to  enter  after  all.  The  daugh- 
ter came  and  stared  at  us,  and  behind  her  was  a  fat 
servant-woman,  frizzled  and  very  dirty.  I  seem  to 
see  those  people  before  me  still,  in  that  old  room  with 
its  oak  wainscoting,  and  the  great  copper  lamp  hang- 
ing from  the  ceiling,  and  the  grated  window  looking 
into  the  little  court.  The  daughter,  who  was  very 
pale  and  had  very  black  eyes,  said  something  to  her 
mother  and  then  the  servant  was  ordered  to  show  us 
to  the  garret,  to  the  beggars'  chamber,  for  all  the  Jews 
feed  and  shelter  beggars  on  Friday.  My  comrade 
from  Harberg  did  not  complain,  but  I  was  indignant. 
We  followed  the  servant  up  a  winding  stair  slippery 
with  filth,  to  the  room.  It  was  separated  from  the 
rest  of  the  garret  by  slats,  through  which  we  could 
see  the  dirty  linen.  It  was  lighted  by  a  little  win- 
dow like  a  lozenge  in  the  roof.  Even  if  I  had  not 
been  so  miserable  I  should  have  thought  it  abomin 
able.  There  was  only  one  chair  and  a  straw  mattress 
on  the  floor  and  one  single  coverlet  for  us  both.  The 
servant  stood  staring  at  us  at  the  door,  as  if  she  ex* 
pected  thanks  or  compliments.  I  took  off  my  knap- 
sack, sad  enough  as  you  can  imagine,  anrl  lean  Buche 
did  the  same.     The  servant  turned  to  go  down-stair's 


192  WATERLOO. 

when  I  cried  out :  "  Wait  a  minute,  we  will  go  down 
too,  we  do  not  want  to  break  our  necks  on  those 
stairs."  We  changed  our  shoes  and  stockings  and 
fastened  the  door  and  went  down  to  the  shop  to  buy 
some  meat.  Jean  went  to  the  baker  opposite  for 
some  bread,  and  as  our  ticket  gave  us  a  place  at  the 
fire  we  went  to  the.  kitchen  to  make  our  soup.  The 
butcher  came  to  see  us  just  as  we  were  finishing  our 
supper.  He  was  smoking  a  big  Ulm  pipe.  He 
asked  where  we  were  from  I  was  so  indignant  I 
would  not  answer  him,  but  Jean  Buche  told  him  that 
I  was  a  watch-maker  from  Pfalzbourg,  upon  which 
he  treated  me  with  more  consideration.  He  said 
that  his  brother  traveled  in  Alsace  and  Lorraine, 
with  watches,  rings,  watch-chains,  and  other  articles 
of  silver  and  gold,  and  jewelry,  and  that  his  name 
was  Samuel  Meyer,  and  perhaps  we  had  had  business 
with  him.  I  replied  that  I  had  seen  his  brother  two 
or  three  times  at  Mr.  Goulden's,  which  was  true. 
Thereupon  he  ordered  the  servant  to  bring  us  a 
pillow,  but  he  did  nothing  more  for  us  and  we  went 
to  bed. 

We  were  very  weary  and  were  soon  sound  asleep. 
[  thought  to  get  up  very  early  and  go  to  the  arsenal, 
but  I  was  still  asleep  when  my  comrade  shook  me 
and  said :  "  The  assembly !" 


WATERLOO.  193 

I  Jstened — it  was  the  assembly  !  We  only  had  time 
to  dress,  buckle  on  our  knapsacks,  take  our  guns,  and 
run  down.  When  we  reached  the  barracks  the  roll- 
oall  had  begun.  When  it  was  finished  two  wagons 
oame  up,  and  we  received  fifty  ball-cartridges  each. 
The  Commandant  Gemeau,  the  captains,  and  all  the 
officers  were  there.  I  saw  that  all  was  over,  that  I 
had  nothing  to  t;ount  on  longer,  and  that  my  letter  to 
Colonel  Desmichels  might  be  good  after  the  cam- 
paign was  over,  if  I  escaped  and  should  be  obliged 
to  serve  out  my  seven  years.  Zebede  looked  at  me 
from  a  distance — I  turned  away  my  head.  The  order 
came : 

"  Carry  arms  !  arms  at  will !  by  file !  left !  forward  ! 
march !" 

The  drums  rolled,  we  marked  step,  and  the  roofs, 
the  houses,  the  windows,  the  lanes,  and  the  people 
seemed  to  glide  past  us.  We  crossed  over  the 
first  bridge  and  the  draw-bridge.  The  drums  ceased 
to  beat  and  we  went  on  toward  Thionville.  The 
other  troops  followed  the  same  route,  cavalry  and 
infantry. 

That  night  we  reached  the  village  of  Beaure- 
gard, the  next  night  we  were  at  Vitry,  near  Thion- 
ville, where  we  were  stationed  till  the  8th  of  June. 
Buche  and  I  were  lodged  with  a  fat  landlord  named 


194  WATERLOO. 

Pochon.  He  was  a  very  good  man  and  gave  us 
excellent  white  wine  to  drink,  and  liked  to  talk  politics 
like  Mr.  Goulden.  During  our  stay  in  this  villag 
General  Schoeffer  came  from  Thionville,  and  we  went 
to  be  reviewed  with  our  arms  at  a  large  farm  called 
"  Silvange." 

It  is  a  woody  country,  and  we  often  went,  several 
of  us  together,  to  make  excursions  in  the  vicinity. 
One  day  Zebede  came  and  took  me  to  see  the  great 
foundery  at  Moyeuvre  where  we  saw  them  run  bullet? 
and  bombs.  We  talked  about  Catherine  and  Mr. 
Goulden,  and  he  told  me  to  write  to  them,  but  some- 
how I  was  afraid  to  hear  from  home,  and  I  turned  mv 
thoughts  away  from  Pfalzbourg. 

On  the  8th  of  June  we  left  this  village  very  early 
in  the  morning,  returning  near  to  Metz  but  without 
entering  the  city.  The  city  gates  were  shut  and  the 
cannon  frowned  on  the  walls  as  in  time  of  war.  We 
slept  at  Chatel,  and  the  next  day  we  were  at  Etain, 
the  day  following  at  Dannevoux,  where  I  was  lodged 
with  a  good  patriot  named  Sebastian  Perrin.  He 
was  a  rich  man,  and  wanted  to  know  the  details  of 
every  thing. 

As  a  great  number  of  battalions  had  followed  the 
same  route  before  us,  he  said,  "  In  a  m  >nth  perhaps 
we  shall  see  great  things,  all  the  troops  are  marching 


WATERLOO  195 

into  Belgium.     The  Emperor  is  going  to  fall  apon 
the  English  and  Prussians." 

This  was  the  last  place  where  we  had  good  supplies. 
The  next  day  we  arrived  at  Yong,  which  is  in  a  mis- 
erable country.  Y/e  slept  on  the  12th  of  June  at 
Yivier,  and  the  13th  at  Cul-de-Sard.  The  farther  we 
advanced  the  more  troops  we  encountered,  and  as  I 
had  seen  these  things  in  Germany,  I  said  to  Jean 
Buche : 

"  Now  we  shall  have  hot  work." 

On  all  sides  and  in  every  direction,  files  of  infantry, 
cavalry,  and  artillery,  were  seen  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach.  The  weather  was  as  delightful  as  possible, 
and  nothing  could  be  more  promising  than  the  ripen- 
ing grain.  But  it  was  very  hot.  What  astonished  me 
was,  that  neither  before  nor  behind,  on  the  right  hand 
nor  on  the  left  could  we  discover  any  enemies.  Nobody 
knew  any  thing  about  them.  The  rumor  circulated 
amongst  us  that  we  were  to  attack  the  English.  I 
had  seen  the  Russians,  Prussians,  Austrians,  Bavari 
ans  and  Wurtemburgers  and  the  Swedes.  I  knew 
the  people  of  all  the  countries  in  the  world,  and  now 

was  going  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  the  English 
also.     If  we  must  be  exterminated,  I  thought,  it  might 
as  well  be  done  by  them  as  by  the  Germans.     We- 
could  not  avoid  our  fate — if  I  was  to  escape,  I  should 


196  WATERLOO. 

escape,  but  if  I  were  doomed  to  leave  my  bones 
here,  all  I  could  do  would  avail  nothing — but  the 
more  we  destroyed  of  them  the  greater  would  be  the 
chances  for  us.  This  was  the  way  I  reasoned  with 
myself,  and  if  it  did  me  no  good  it  caused  me  at  least 
no  harm. 


WATERLOO.  197 


XVI. 

We  passed  the  Meuse  on  the  12th,  and  during  the 
13th  and  14th  we  marched  along  the  wretched  roads, 
bordered  with  grain  fields,  barley,  oat3,  and  hemp, 
without  end.  The  heat  was  extraordinary,  the  sweat 
ran  down  to  our  hips  from  under  our  knapsacks  and 
cartridge-boxes.  What  a  misfortune  to  be  poor,  and 
unable  to  buy  a  man  to  march  and  take  the  musket- 
shots  in  our  place !  After  having  gone  through  the 
rain,  wind,  and  snow,  and  mud,  in  Germany,  the  turn 
of  the  sun  and  dust  had  come.  And  I  saw  too,  that 
the  destruction  was  approaching,  you  could  hear  the 
sound  of  the  drum  and  the  bugle  in  every  direc- 
tion, and  whenever  the  battalion  passed  over  an  ele- 
vation long  lines  of  helmets  and  lances  and  bayo- 
nets were  seen  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 

Zebede,  with  his  musket  on  his  shoulder,  would  ex- 
claim cheerfully,  "  Well,  Joseph  !  we  are  going  to  see 


198  WATERLOO. 

the  whites  of  the  Prussians'  eyes  again ;"  and  I  would 
force  myself  to  reply,  "  Oh  !  yes,  the  weddings  will 
soon  begin  again."  As  if  I  wanted  to  risk  my  life 
and  leave  Catherine  a  young  widow  for  the  sake  of 
something  which  did  not  in  the  least  concern  me. 

That  same  day  at  seven  o'clock  we  reached  Holy. 
The  hussars  occupied  the  town  already,  and  we  were 
obliged  to  bivouac  in  a  deep  road  along  the  side  of 
the  hill.  t  We  had  hardly  stacked  our  arms  when  sev- 
eral general  officers  arrived.  The  Commandant  Ge« 
meau,  who  had  just  dismounted,  sprang  upon  his 
horse  and  hurried  to  meet  them.  They  conversed 
a  moment  together  and  came  down  into  our  road. 
Everybody  looked  on  and  said,  "  Something  has  hap- 
pened." One  of  the  officers,  General  Pechaux,  whom 
we  knew  afterward,  ordered  the  drums  to  beat,  and 
shouted,  "  Form  a  circle."  The  road  was  too  narrow, 
and  some  of  the  soldiers  went  up  on  the  slope  each 
side  of  the  road,  while  the  others  remained  on  the 
road.  All  the  battalion  looked  on  while  the  general 
unrolled  a  paper,  and  said,  "  Proclamation  from  the 
Emperor." 

When  he  had  said  that,  the  silence  was  so  pro- 
found that  you  would  ha\  e  thought  yourself  alone  in 
the  midst  of  these  great  fields.  Every  one,  from  the 
last  conscript  to  the  Commandant  Gemeau,  listened, 


WATERLOO.  199 

and,  even  to-day,  when  I  think  of  it,  after  fifty 
years,  it  moves  my  heart ;  it  was  grand  and  terrible. 
This  is  what  the  general  read : 

"  Soldiers!  To-day  is  the  anniversary  of  Marengo  and  of  Fried- 
iand,  which  twice  decided  the  fate  of  Europe !  Then,  as  after  Aus-, 
terlitz  and  after  "Wagrani,  we  were  too  generous,  we  believed  the 
protestations  and  the  oaths  of  princes,  whom  we  left  on  their 
thrones.  They  have  combined  to  attack  the  independence  and 
even  the  most  sacred  rights  of  France.  They  have  commenced 
the  most  unjust  aggressions,  let  us  meet  them !  They  and  we, — 
are  we  no  longer  of  the  same  race?" 

The  whole  battalion  shouted,  "  Vive  V Empereur." 
The  general  raised  his  hand,  and  all  were  silent. 

"Soldiers!  at  Jena,  we  were  as  one  to  three  against  these 
Prussians  who  are  so  arrogant  to-day ;  at  Montmirail  we  were  as 
one  against  six  1  Let  those  among  you  who  have  been  prisoners 
of  the  English  tell  the  tale  of  their  frightful  suffering's  in  their 
prison  ships.  The  Saxons,  the  Belgians,  the  Hanoverians,  the 
soldiers  of  the  Confederation  of  the  Rhine,  complain  that  they  are 
compelled  to  lend  their  arms  to  princes  who  are  enemies  of  justice 
aud  of  the  rights  of  all  nations.  They  know  that  this  coalition  is 
insatiable.  After  having  devoured  twelve  millions  of  Poles, 
twelve  millions  of  Italians,  one  million  of  Saxons,  six  millions  of 
Belgians,  it  will  devour  all  the  states  of  the  second  order  in  Ger- 
many. Madmen !  a  moment  of  prosperity  has  blinded  them ;  the 
oppression  and  humiliation  of  the  French  people  is  beyond  their 
power.  If  they  enter  France  they  will  find  their  graves  there. 
Soldiers,  we  have  forced  marches  to  make,  battles  to  wage,  and 


200  WATERLOO. 

perils  to  encounter,  but,  if  we  are  constant,  victory  will  be  ours 
The  rights  of  man  and  the  happiness  of  our  country  will  be  re- 
conquered. For  all  Frenchmen,  who  have  hearts,  the  time  has 
come  to  conquer  or  to  perish. — Napoleon." 

The  shouts  which  arose  were  like  thunder,  it  wa 
as  if  the  Emperor  had  breathed  his  war  spirit  into 
our  hearts,  and  moved  us  as  one  man  to  destroy  our 
enemies.  The  shouts  continued  long  after  the  gen- 
eral had  gone,  and  even  I  was  satisfied.  I  saw  that 
it  was  the  truth,  that  the  Prussians,  Austrians,  and 
Russians,  who  had  talked  so  much  of  the  deliverance, 
of  the  people,  had  profited  by  the  first  opportunity 
to  grasp  every  thing,  that  those  grand  words  about 
liberty,  which  had  served  to  excite  their  young  men 
against  us  in  1813,  and  all  the  promises  of  constitu- 
tions which  they  had  made,  had  been  set  aside  and 
broken.  I  looked  upon  them  as  beggars,  as  men  who 
had  not  kept  their  word,  who  despised  the  people, 
and  whose  ideas  were  very  narrow  and  limited,  and 
consisted  in  always  keeping  the  best  place  for  them- 
selves and  their  children  and  descendants  whethe 
they  were  good  or  bad,  just  or  unjust,  without  an 
reference  to  God's  law.  That  was  the  way  I  looked  at 
it ;  the  proclamation  seemed  to  me  very  beautiful.  T 
thought  too,  that  Father  Goulden  would  be  pleased 
with  it,  because  the  Emperor  had  not  forgotten  the 


WATERLOO.  201 

rights  of  man,  which  are  liberty,  equality,  and  justice, 
and  all  those  grand  ideas  which  distinguish  men  from 
brutes,  causing  them  to  respect  themselves  and  the 
rights  of  their  neighbors  also.  Our  courage  was  greatly 
strengthened  by  these  strong  and  just  words.  The 
old  soldiers  laughed  and  said,  "  We  shall  not  be  kept 
waiting  this  time.  On  the  first  march  we  shall  fall 
jpon  the  Prussians." 

But  the  conscripts,  who  had  never  yet  heard  the 
bullets  whistle,  were  the  most  excited  of  all.  Buche's 
eyes  sparkled  like  those  of  a  cat,  as  he  sat  on  the 
road-side,  with  his  knapsack  opened  on  the  slope,  slow- 
ly sharpening  his  saber,  and  trying  the  edge  on  the 
toe  of  his  shoe.  Others  were  setting  their  bayonets 
and  adjusting  their  flints,  as  they  always  do  wnen  on 
the  eve  of  a  battle.  At  those  times  their  heads  are 
full  of  thought,  which  make  them  knit  their  brows, 
and  compress  their  lips  ;  giving  them  any  thing  but 
pleasant  faces. 

The  sun  sank  lower  and  lower  behind  the  grain 
fields,  several  detachments  of  men  went  to  the  village 
for  wood,  and  they  brought  back  onions  and  leeks 
and  salt,  and  even  several  quarters  of  beef  were  hung 
on  long  sticks  over  their  shoulders.  But  it  was  wher 
the  men  were  around  the  fires,  watching  their  kettles 
as  they  commenced  to  boil,  and  the  smoke  went  curl 

o* 


202  WATERLOO. 

ing  up  into  the  air,  that  their  faces  were  happiest  , 
one  would  talk  of  Lutzen,  another  of  Wasram,  of 
Austerlitz,  of  Jena,  of  Friedland,  of  Spain,  of  Portugal, 
and  of  all  the  countries  in  the  world.  They  all  talk- 
ed at  once,  but  only  the  old  soldiers  whose  arms 
were  covered  with  chevrons,  were  listened  to.  They 
were  most  interesting,  as  they  marked  the  positions 
on  the  ground  with  their  fingers,  and  explained  them 
by  a  line  on  the  right,  and  a  line  on  the  left.  You 
Beemed  to  see  it  all  while  listening  to  them.  Each 
one  had  his  pewter  spoon  at  his  button-hole,  and 
kept  thinking,  "  The  soup  will  be  capital,  the  meat  is 
good  and  fat." 

When  we  were  stationed  for  the  night,  the  order 
was  given  to  extinguish  the  fires  and  not  to  beat  the 
retreat,  which  indicated  that  the  enemy  was  near,  and 
that  they  feared  to  alarm  them. 

The  moon  was  shining,  and  Buche  and  I  were  eat- 
ing at  the  same  mess ;  when  we  had  finished,  he  talk- 
ed to  me  more  than  two  hours  about  his  life  at  Har- 
berg,  how  they  were  obliged  to  drag  two  or  three 
cords  of  wood  on  great  sleds  at  the  risk  of  being  run 
over  and  crushed,  especially  when  the  snow  was  melt- 
ing. Compared  with  that,  the  life  of  a  soldier,  with 
his  pleasant  mess  and  good  bread,  regular  rations, 
the  neat  warm  uniform,  the  stout  linen  shirts,  seemed 


WATERLOO.  203 

to  him  delightful.  He  had  never  dreamed  that  he 
could  be  so  comfortable,  and  his  strongest  desire  was 
to  let  his  two  younger  brothers,  Gaspard  and  Jacob, 
know  how  delighted  he  was,  in  order  that  they  might 
enlist  as  soon  as  they  were  old  enough. 

"  Yes,"  said  I,  "  that  is  all  very  well, — but  the  Eng 
lish  and  Prussians, — you  do  not  think  of  that." 

"  I  despise  them,"  said  he,  "  my  saber  cuts  like  a 
butcher's  knife,  and  my  bayonet  is  sharp  as  a  needle. 
It  is  they  who  should  be  afraid  to  encounter  me." 

We  were  the  best  friends  in  the  world,  and  I  liked 
him  almost  as  well  as  my  old  comrades  Klipfel, 
Furst,  and  Zebecle.  And  he  liked  me  too.  I  believe 
he  would  have  let  himself  be  cut  to  pieces  to  save  me 
from  danger.  Old  comrades  and  bedfellows  never 
forget  each  other.  In  my  time,  old  Harwig  whom  I 
knew  in  Pfalzbourg,  always  received  a  pension  from 
his  old  comrade  Bernadotte,  king  of  Sweden.  If  I 
had  been  a  king,  Jean  Buche  should  have  had  a  pen- 
sion, for  if  he  had  not  a  great  mind  he  had  a  good 
heart,  which  is  better  still. 

While  we  were  talking,  Zeb6de  came  and  tapped 
ue  on  the  shoulder. 

"  You  do  not  smoke,  Joseph  ?" 

"  I  have  no  tobacco." 

Then  he  gave  me  half  of  a  package  which  1  e  had 


201  WATERLOO. 

and  I  saw  that  he  loved  me  still,  in  srite  of  the 
difference  in  our  rank,  and  that  touched  me.  He  was 
beside  himself  with  delight  at  the  thought  of  attack- 
ing the  Prussians. 

"  We'll  be  revenged !"  he  cried !  "  No  quarter !  they 
shall  pay  for  all,  from  Katzbach  even  to  Soissons." 

You  would  have-  thought  that  those  English  and 
Prussians  were  not  going  to  defend  themselves,  and 
that  we  ran  no  risk  of  catching  bullets  and  canister  as 
at  Lutzen  and  at  Gross-Beren,  at  Leipzig  and  every- 
where else.  But  what  could  you  say  to  a  man  who 
remembered  nothing  and  who  always  looked  on  the 
bright  side  ? 

I  smoked  my  pipe  quietly  and  replied,  "  Yes !  yes ! 
we'll  settle  the  rascals,  we'll  push  them !  They'll  see 
enough  of  us !" 

I  left  Jean  Buche  with  his  pipe,  and  as  we  were  on 
guard,  Zebede  went  about  nine  o'clock  to  relieve  the 
sentinels  at  the  head  of  the  picket.  I  stepped  a  little 
out  of  the  circle  and  stretched  myself  in  a  furrow 
a  few  steps  in  the  rear  with  my  knapsack  under  my 
head.  The  weather  was  warm,  and  we  heard  the 
crickets  Ions*  after  the  sun  went  down.  A  few  stars 
shone  in  the  heavens.  There  was  not  a  breath  of 
air  stirring  over  the  plain,  the  ears  of  grain  stood 
erect  and  motionless,  and  in  the  distance  the  village 


WATEKLOO.  205 

clocks  struck  nine,  ten,  and  eleven,  but  at  last  I  drop- 
ped asleep.  This  was  the  night  of  the  14th  and  15tL 
of  June,  1815.  Between  two  and  three  in  the  morning 
Zebede  came  and  shook  me.  w  Up  !"  said  he,  "  come  !" 
Buche  had  stretched  himself  beside  me  also,  and 
we  rose  at  once.  It  was  our  turn  to  relieve  the  guard. 
It  was  still  dark,  but  there  was  a  line  of  light  along 
the  horizon  at  the  edge  of  the  grain  fields.  Thirty 
paces  farther  on.  Lieutenant  Bretonville  was  waiting 
for  us,  surrounded  by  the  picket.  It  is  hard  to  get 
up  out  of  a  sound  sleep  after  a  march  of  ten  hours. 
But  we  buckled  on  our  knapsacks  as  we  went,  and 
I  relieved  the  sentinel  behind  the  hedge  opposite 
Holy.  The  countersign  was  "  Jemmapes  and  Fleurus," 
this  struck  me  at  once,  I  had  not  heard  this  counter- 
sign since  1813.  How  memory  sleeps  sometimes  for 
years !  I  seem  to  see  the  picket  now  as  they  turn 
into  the  road,  while  I  renew  the  priming  of  my  gun 
by  the  light  of  the  stars,  and  I  hear  the  other  senti- 
nels marching  slowly  back  and  forth,  while  the  foot- 
steps of  the  picket  grew  faint  and  fainter  in  the 
distance.  I  marched  up  and  down  the  hedge  with 
my  gun  on  my  arm.  There  was  nothing  to  be  seen  but 
the  village  with  its  thatched  roofs  and  the  slated 
church  spire  a  little  farther  on ;  and  a  mounted  senti- 
nel stationed  in  the  road   with  his  blunderbuss  rest- 


206  WATERLOO. 

ing  on  his  thigh  looking  out  into  the  night.  I  walked 
up  and  down  thinking  and  listening.  Every  thing 
slept.  The  white  line  along  the  horizon  grew  broad- 
er. Another  half  hour  and  the  distant  country  began 
to  appear  in  the  gray  light  of  morning.  Two  or 
three  quails  called  and  answered  each  other  across 
the  plain.  As  I  heard  these  sounds  I  stopped  and 
thought  sadly  of  Quatre  Vents,  Danne,  the  Bara- 
ques-du-bois-de-ehenes,  and  of  our  grain  fields,  where 
the  quails  were  calling  from  the  edge  of  the  forest  of 
Bonne  Fontaine.  "  Is  Catherine  asleep  ?  and  Aunt 
Gredel  and  Father  Goulden  and  all  the  town  ?  The 
national  guard  from  Nancy  has  taken  our  place."  I 
saw  the  sentinels  of  the  two  magazines  and  the  guard 
at  the  two  gates ;  in  short,  thoughts  without  number 
came  and  went,  when  I  heard  a  horse  galloping 
in  the  distance,  but  I  could  see  nothing. 

In  a  few  minutes  he  entered  the  village,  and  all 
was  still  except  a  sort  of  confused  tumult.     In  an  in- 
stant after,  the  horseman  came  from  Holy  into  our 
road  at  full  gallop.     I  advanced  to  the  edge  of  the 
hedge  and  presented  my  musket,  and  cried,  "  Wh 
goes      there."      "  France  !"       "  What     regiment  V 
"Twelfth    chasseurs!     Staff."      "Pass     on!"     He 
went  on  his  way  faster  than  before.     I  heard  him 
stop  in  the  midst  of  our  encampment,  and  call  "  Com 
I 


WATERLOO.  207 

mandant."  I  advanced  to  the  top  of  the  hill  to  see 
what  was  going  on.  There  was  a  great  excitement ; 
the  officers  came  running  up,  and  the  soldiers  gath- 
ered round.  The  chasseur  was  speaking  to  Gemeau^ 
I  listened,  but  was  too  far  away  to  hear.  The  cou 
rier  went  on  again  up  the  hill,  and  every  thing  was  in 
an  uproar.  They  shouted  and  gesticulated.  Suddenly 
the  drums  beat  to  mount  guard,  and  the  relief  turned 
a  corner  in  the  road.  I  saw  Zebede  in  the  distance 
looking  pale  as  death,  as  he  passed  me  he  said, 
"  Come !"  the  two  other  sentinels  were  in  their  places  a 
little  to  the  left.  Talking  is  not  allowed  when  under 
arms,  but,  notwithstanding,  Zebede  said,  "Joseph, 
we  are  betrayed.  Bourmont,  general  of  the  division 
in  advance,  and  five  other  brigands  of  the  same  sort, 
have  just  gone  over  to  the  enemy."  His  voice 
trembled. 

My  blood  boiled,  and  looking  at  the  other  men  on 
the  picket,  two  old  soldiers  with  chevrons,  I  saw 
their  lips  quiver  under  their  gray  mustaches,  their 
ryes  rolled  fiercely  as  if  they  were  meditating  ven- 
geance, but  they  said  nothing.  We  hurried  on  to 
relievo  the  other  two  sentinels.  Some  minutes  after 
ward,  on  returning  to  our  bivouac,  we  found  the  bat- 
talion already  under  arms  and  ready  to  move.  Fury 
and  indignation  were  stamped  on   every  face,  the 


208  WATERLOO. 

drums  beat  and  we  formed  ranks,  the  commandant 
and  the  adjutant  waited  on  horseback  at  the  head  of 
the  battalion,  pale  as  ashes. 

I  remember  that  the  commandant  suddenly  drew 
his  sword  as  a  signal  to  stop  the  drums,  and  tried  to 
speak,  but  the  words  would  not  come,  and  he  began 
to  shout  like  a  madman  :  "  Ah !  the  wretches  !  mis- 
erable villains !  Vive  l'Empereur !  ISTo  quarter  !" 
He  stammered  and  did  not  know  what  he  said,  but 
the  battalion  thought  he  was  eloquent,  and  began  to 
shout  as  one  man,  "  Forward  !  forward  !  to  the  ene. 
my  !  no  quarter !"  We  went  through  the  village  at 
quick  step,  and  the  meanest  soldier  was  furious  at 
not  finding  the  Prussians. 

It  was  an  hour  after,  when  having  reflected  a  little, 
the  men  commenced  swearing  and  threatening,  se- 
cretly at  first,  but  soon  openly,  and  at  last  the  bat- 
talion was  almost  in  revolt.  Some  said  that  all  the 
officers  under  Louis  XVIII.  must  be  exterminated, 
and  others,  that  we  were  given  up  en  masse,  and  sev- 
eral declared  that  the  marshals  were  traitors,  and 
ought  to  be  court-martialed  and  shot. 

At  last  the  commandant  ordered  a  halt,  and  riding 
down  the  line  he  told  the  men,  that  the  traitors  had 
left  too  late  to  do  mischief,  that  we  would  make  the 
attack  that  very  day,  and  that  the  enemy  would  not 


WATERLOO-  209 

have  time  to  profit  by  the  treason,  and  that  he  would 
be  surprised  and  overwhelmed.  This  calmed  the 
fury  of  a  great  proportion  of  the  men,  and  we  re- 
sumed our  march,  and  all  along  the  route,  we  beard 
repeatedly  that  the  exposure  of  our  plans  had  been 
made  too  late. 

But  our  anger  gave  place  to  joy,  when  about  ten 
o'clock  we  heard  the  thunder  of  cannon  five  or  six 
leagues  to  the  left,  on  the  other  side  of  the  Sambre. 
The  men  raised  their  shakos  on  their  bayonets  and 
shouted  :  "  Forward  !     Vive  l'Empereur  !" 

Many  of  the  old  soldiers  wept,  and  over  all  that 
great  plain  there  was  one  immense  shout ;  when 
one  regiment  had  ceased  another  took  it  up.  The 
cannon  thundered  incessantly.  We  quickened  our 
steps.  We  had  been  marching  on  Charleroi  since 
seven  o'clock,  when  an  order  reached  us  by  an  orderly 
to  support  the  right.  I  remember  that  in  all  the  vil- 
lages through  which  we  passed,  the  doors  and  win- 
dows were  full  of  eager  friendly  faces,  waving  their 
hands  and  shouting,  "  The  French,  the  French  !"  We 
could  see  that  they  were  friendly  to  us,  and  that  they 
were  of  the  same  blood  as  ourselves ;  and  in  the  two 
halts  that  we  made,  they  came  out  with  their  loaves  of 
excellent  home-made  bread,  with  a  knife  stuck  in  the 
crust,  and  great  jugs  of  black  beer,  and  offered  them 


210  WATERLOO. 

to  us  without  asking  any  return.  We  had  come  to 
deliver  them  without  knowing  it,  and  nobody  in 
their  country  knew  it  either,  which  shows  the  sa- 
gacity of  the  Emperor,  for  there  were  already  in  tha 
corner  of  the  Sambre  et  Meuse,  more  than  one  hun- 
dred thousand  men,  and  not  the  slightest  hint  of  it 
had  reached  the  enemy. 

The  treason  of  Bourmont  had  prevented  our  sur- 
prising them  as  they  were  scattered  about  in  their 
separate  camps.  .  We  could  then  have  annihilated 
them  at  a  blow,  but  now  it  would  be  much  more  dif- 
ficult. 

We  continued  our  march  till  after  noon,  in  the  in- 
tense heat  and  choking  dust.  The  farther  we  ad- 
vanced the  greater  the  number  of  troops  we  saw,  in- 
fantry and  cavalry.  They  massed  themselves  more 
and  more,  so  to  speak,  and  behind  us  there  were  still 
other  regiments. 

Toward  five  o'clock  we  reached  a  village  where  the 
battalions  and  squadrons  filed  over  a  bridge  built  of 
brick.  This  village  had  been  taken  by  our  van- 
guard, and  in  going  through  it,  we  saw  some  of  the 
Prussians  stretched  out  in  the  little  streets  on  the 
right  and  left,  and  I  said  to  Jean  Buche .  "  Those 
are  Prussians,  I  saw  them  at  Lutzen  and  Leipzig,  and 
you  are  going  to  see  them  too,  Jean." 


WATERLOO.  211 

"  So  much  tlie  better,"  he  replied,  "  that  is  what  1 
want." 

This  village  was  called  Chatelet.  It  is  on  the  river 
Sanibre,  the  water  is  very  deep,  yellow,  and  clayey, 
and  those  who  are  so  unfortunate  as  to  fall  into  it, 
find  it  very  difficult  to  get  out  of,  for  the  hanks  are 
perpendicular,  as  we  found  out  afterward.  On  the 
other  side  of  the  bridge  we  bivouacked  along  the 
river ;  we  were  not  in  the  advance,  as  the  hussars  had 
passed  over  before  us,  but  we  were  the  first  infantry  of 
the  corps  of  Gerard.  All  the  rest  of  that  day  the 
Fourth  corps  were  filing  over  the  bridge,  and  we 
learned  at  night,  that  the  whole  army  had  passed  the 
Sambre,  and  that  there  had  been  fighting  near  Cha? 
leroi,  at  Marchiennes,  and  Jumet. 


I 


212  WATERLOO. 


XVII. 

On  reaching  the  other  bank  of  the  river,  we  stacked 
our  arms  in  an  orchard,  and  lighted  our  pipes  and 
took  breath  as  we  watched  the  hussars,  the  chas- 
seurs, the  artillery,  and  the  infantry,  file  over  the 
bridge  hour  after  hour,  and  take  their  positions  on 
the  plain.  In  our  front  was  a  beech  forest,  about  three 
leagues  in  length,  which  extended  toward  Fleurus. 
We  could  see  great  yellow  spots,  here  and  there  in 
this  wood  ;  these  were  stubble,  and  great  patches  of 
grain,  instead  of  being  covered  with  bramble  or  heath 
and  furze  as  in  our  country.  About  twenty  old  de- 
crepit houses  were  on  that  side  the  bridge.  Chatelet 
is  a  very  large  village,  larger  than  the  city  of  Sa- 
verne. 

Between  the  battalions  and  squadrons,  which  were 
constantly  moving  onward,  the  men,  women,  and 
children  would  come  out  with  jugs  of  sour  beer,  bread, 
and  strong  white  brandy  which  they  sold  to  the  soi- 


WATERLOO.  213 

diers  for  a  few  sous.  Buche  and  I  broke  a  crust  as 
we  looked  on  and  laughed  with  the  girls,  who  are 
blonde  and  very  pretty  in  that  country. 

Very  near  us  was  the  little  village  Catelineau,  and 
in  the  distance  on  our  left,  between  the  wood  and  the 
river,  lay  the  village  of  Gilly.  The  sound  of  musket- 
ry, cannon,  and  platoon  firing,  was  heard  constantly 
in  that  direction.  The  news  soon  came  that  the 
Emperor  had  driven  the  Prussians  out  of  Charle- 
roi,  and  that  they  had  re-formed  in  squares  at  the 
corner  of  the  wood. 

We  expected  every  moment  to  be  ordered  to  cut 
off  their  retreat,  but  between  seven  and  eight  o'clock, 
the  sound  of  musketry  ceased,  the  Prussians  retired 
to  Fleurus,  after  having  lost  one  of  their  squares ; 
and  the  others  escaped  into  the  wood.  We  saw  two 
regiments  of  dragoons  arrive  and  take  up  their 
position  at  our  right,  along  the  bank  of  the  Sambre. 
There  was  a  rumor  a  few  minutes  afterward  that 
General  Le  Tort  had  been  killed  by  a  ball  in  the 
abdomen,  very  near  the  place  where  in  his  youth  he 
had  watched  and  tended  the  cattle  of  a  farmer. 
What  strange  things  happen  in  life  !  The  general 
had  fought  all  over  Europe,  since  he  was  twenty 
years  old,  but  death  waited  for  him  here ! 

It  was  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  we 


214  WATERLOO. 

were  expecting  to  remain  at  Chatelet  until  our  three 
divisions  had  crossed.  An  old  bald  peasant,  in  a  blue 
blouse  and  a  cotton  cap  and  as  lean  as  a  goat,  came 
into  camp  and  told  Captain  Gregoire  that  on  the 
side  of  the  beech  wood  in  a  hollow,  lay  the  village  of 
Fleurus,  and  to  the  right  of  this,  the  little  village  of 
Lambusart ;  that  the  Prussians  had  been  stationed 
in  these  towns  more  than  three  weeks,  and  that  more 
of  them  had  arrived  the  night  before,  and  the  night 
before  that.  He  told  us  also  that  there  was  a  broad 
road,  bordered  with  trees,  running  two  good 
leagues  along  our  left ;  that  the  Belgians  and  Hano- 
verians had  posts  at  Gosselies  and  at  Quatre-Bras  ; 
that  it  was  the  high  road  to  Brussels,  where  the 
English  and  Hanoverians  and  Belgians  had  all  their 
forces ;  while  the  Prussians,  four  or  five  leagues  at 
our  right,  occupied  the  route  to  Namur,  and  that 
between  them  and  the  English,  there  was  a  good 
road  running  from  the  plateau  of  Quatre-Bras  to  the 
plateau  of  Ligny  in  the  rear  of  Fleurus,  over  which 
their  couriers  went  and  came  from  morning  till  night, 
go  that  the  Prussians  and  English  were  in  perfect 
communication,  and  could  support  each  other  with 
men,  guns,  and  supplies  when  necessary. 

Naturally  enough  I  thought  at  once,  that  the  first 
thing  to  be  done  was  to  get  possession  of  this  road 


WATERLOO.  215 

and  so  cut  off  their  communication ;  and  I  was  not 
the  only  one  who  thought  so ;  but  we  said  nothing 
for  fear  of  interrupting  the  old  man.  In  five  minutes 
half  the  battalion  had  gathered  round  him  in  a  circle. 
He  was  smoking  a  clay  pipe  and  pointing  out  all  the 
positions  with  the  stem.  He  was  a  sort  of  commis- 
sioner between  Chatelet,  Fleurus,  and  Namur  and 
knew  every  foot  of  the  country  and  all  that  hap- 
pened every  day. 

He  complained  greatly  of  the  Prussians,  said  they 
were  proud  and  insolent,  that  they  corrupted  the 
women  and  were  never  satisfied,  and  that  the  officers 
boasted  of  having  driven  us  from  Dresden  to  Paris, 
that  they  had  made  us  run  like  hare. 

I  was  indignant  at  that,  for  I  knew  they  were  two 
to  one  at  Leipzig,  and  that  the  Russians,  Austrians, 
Saxons,  Bavarians,  Wurtemburgers,  Swedes,  in  fact 
all  Europe  had  overwhelmed  us,  while  three-quarters 
of  our  army  were  sick  with  typhus,  cold,  and  famine, 
inarching  and  countermarching ;  but  that  even  all 
this  had  not  prevented  us  from  beating  them  at 
xIanau,  and  fifty  other  times  when  they  were  three 
o  one,  in  Champagne,  Alsace,  in  the  Yosges,  and 
everywhere. 

Their  boasting  disgusted  me,  I  had  a  horror  of  the 
whole  race,  and  I  thought, <c  those  are  the  rascals  whc 


216  WATERLOO. 

sour  your  blood."  The  old  man  said  too,  that  the 
Prussians  constantly  declared  that  they  would  soon 
be  enjoying  themselves  in  Paris,  drinking  good 
French  wines  ;  and  that  the  French  army  was  only 
a  band  of  brigands.  When  I  heard  that,  I  said  to 
myself,  "  Joseph,  that  is  too  much !  now  you  will 
show  no  more  mercy,  there  is  nothing  but  extermi- 
nation." 

The  clocks  of  Chatelet  struck  nine  and  a  half,  and 
the  hussars  sounded  the  retreat,  and  each  one  was 
about  to  dispose  himself  behind  a  hedge  or  a  bee- 
house  or  in  a  furrow  for  the  night,  when  the  general 
of  the  brigade,  SchoefFer,  ordered  the  battalion  to 
take  up  their  position  on  the  other  side  of  the  wood, 
as  the  van-guard.  I  saw  at  once  that  our  unlucky 
battalion  was  always  to  be  in  the  van,  just  as  it  was 
in  1813. 

It  is  a  sad  thing  for  a  regiment  to  have  a  reputa- 
tion; the  men  change,  but  the  number  remains  the 
same.  The  Sixth  light  infantry  had  always  been  a 
distinguished  number,  and  I  knew  what  it  cost. 
Those  of  us  who  were  inclined  to  sleep,  were  wide 
awake  now,  for  when  you  know  that  the  enemy  is  at 
hand,  and  you  say  to  yourself,  "The  Prussians  are  in 
ambush,  perhaps  in  that  wood,  waiting  for  you,"  it 
makes  you  open  your  eyes. 


WATERLOO.  217 

Several  hussars  deployed  as  scouts  on  our  right 
and  left,  in  front  of  the  column.  We  marched  at  the 
route  step,  with  the  captains  between  the  com- 
panies, and  the  Commandant  Gemeau,  on  his  little 
gray  mare,  in  the  middle  of  the  battalion.  Before 
starting  each  man  had  received  three  pounds  of  bread 
and  two  pounds  of  rice,  and  this  was  the  way  in 
which  the  campaign  opened  for  us. 

The  sky  was  without  a  cloud,  and  all  the  country 
and  even  the  forest,  which  lay  three-quarters  of  a 
league  before  us,  shone  in  the  moonlight  like  silver. 
I  thought  involuntarily  of  the  wood  at  Leipzig,  where 
I  had  slipped  into  a  clay-pit  with  two  Prussian  hus- 
sars, when  poor  Klipfel  was  cut  into  a  thousand 
pieces  at  a  little  distance  from  me.  All  this  made 
me  very  watchful.  No  one  spoke,  even  Buche  rais- 
ed his  head  and  shut  his  teeth,  and  Zebede,  who  was 
at  the  left  of  the  company,  did  not  look  toward  me, 
but  right  ahead  into  the  shadow  of  the  trees,  like 
everybody  else. 

It  took  us  nearly  an  hour  to  reach  the  forest,  and 
when  within  two  hundred  paces  the  order  came  to 
"halt." 

The  hussars  fell  back  on  the  flanks  of  the  battalion, 

and  one  company  deployed  as  scouts.     We  waited 

about  five  minutes,  and  as  not  the  slightest  noise  01 
10 


218  WATERLOO. 

sound  of  any  kind  reached  our  ears,  we  resumed  out 
march.  The  road  which  we  followed  through  the 
wood  was  quite  a  wide  cart-path.  The  column 
marked  step  in  the  shadows.  At  every  moment 
great  openings  in  the  forest  gave  us  light  and  air, 
and  we  could  see  the  white  piles  of  newly-cut  wood 
between  their  stakes,  shining  in  the  distance  from 
time  to  time. 

Besides  this,  nothing  could  be  heard  or  seen. 
Buche  said  to  me  in  a  low  voice,  "  I  like  the  smell 
of  the  wood,  it  is  like  Harberg." 

"  I  despise  the  smell  of  the  wood,"  I  thought ;  "  and 
if  we  do  not  get  a  musket-shot,  I  shall  be  satisfied." 

At  the  end  of  two  hours  the  light  appeared  again 
through  the  underwood,  and  we  reached  the  other 
side,  fortunately  without  encountering  either  enemy 
or  obstacle.  The  hussars  who  had  accompanied  us 
returned  immediately,  and  the  battalion  stacked 
arms. 

We  were  in  a  grain  country,  the  like  of  which  I 
had  never  seen.  Some  of  the  grain  was  in  flower,  a 
little  green  still,  though  the  barley  was  almost  ripe, 
The  fields  extended  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 
We  looked  around  in  perfect  silence,  and  I  saw  thai 
the  old  man  had  not  deceived  us.  Two  thousand 
paces  in  front  of  us,  in  a  hollow,  we  saw  the  top  of 


WATERLOO.  219 

an  old  church  spire  and  some  slated  gables,  lighted 
up  by  the  moon.  That  was  Fleurus.  Nearer  to  us  on 
our  right  were  some  thatched  cottages,  and  a  few 
houses  ;  this  was  without  doubt  Lambusart.  At  the 
end  of  the  plain,  more  than  a  league  distant  and  in  the 
rear  of  Fleurus,  the  surface  of  the  country  was  broken 
into  little  hills,  and  on  these  hills  innumerable  fires 
were  burning.  Three  large  villages  were  easily 
recognized  extending  over  the  heights  from  left  to 
right.  The  one  nearest  to  us,  we  afterward  found, 
was  St.  Amand,  Ligny  in  the  middle,  and  two  leagues 
beyond,  was  Sombref.  We  could  see  them  more 
distinctly,  even,  than  in  the  day-time,  on  account  of 
the  fires  of  the  enemy.  The  Prussians  were  in  the 
houses  and  the  orchards  and  the  fields  ;  and  beyond 
these  three  villages  in  a  line,  was  another,  lying  still 
higher  and  farther  away,  where  fires  were  burning 
also.  This  was  Bry,  where  the  rascals  had  their  re- 
serves. 

As  we  looked  at  this  grand  spectacle,  I  un- 
derstood the  disposition  and  the  plan,  and  saw  too 
that  it  would  be  very  difficult  to  take  the  position. 
On  the  plain  at  our  left  there  were  fires  also,  but  it 
was  the  camp  of  the  Third  corps,  which  had  turned 
the  corner  of  the  forest  after  having  repulsed  the 
Prussians,  and  had  halted  in  some  village  this  side  of 


• 


220  WATERLOO. 

Fleurus.  There  were  a  few  fires  along  the  edge  of 
the  forest,  on  a  line  with  us;  these  were  tne  fires  of 
our  own  soldiers.  I  believe  there  were  some  on  both 
sides  of  us,  but  the  great  mass  were  at  the  left. 

We  posted  our  sentinels  immediately,  and  without 
lighting  our  fires  laid  down  at  the  border  of  the 
wood  to  wait  for  further  orders.  General  Schoeffer 
came  again  during  the  night  with  several  hussar 
officers,  and  talked  a  long  time  with  our  comman- 
dant, Gemeau,  who  was  watching  under  arms.  Their 
conversation  was  quite  distinct  at  twenty  paces  from 
us.  The  general  said  that  our  army  corps  continued  to 
arrive,  but  that  they  were  very  late,  and  would  not  all 
reach  here  the  next  day.  I  saw  at  once  that  he  was 
right ;  for  our  fourth  battalion,  which  should  have 
joined  us  at  Chatelet,  did  not  come  till  the  day  after 
the  battle,  when  we  were  almost  exterminated  by 
those  rascals  at  Ligny,  having  only  four  hundred  men 
left.  Tf  they  had  been  been  there  they  would  have 
had  their  share  of  the  combat  and  of  the  glory. 

As  I  had  been  on  guard  the  night  before,  I  quietly 
stretched  myself  at  the  foot  of  a  tree  by  the  side  oi 
Buche,  with  my  comrades.  It  was  about  one  o'clock  in 
the  morning  of  the  day  of  the  terrible  battle  of  Ligny, 
Nearly  half  of  those  men  who  were  sleeping  around 
me  left  their  bodies  on  the  plain  and  in  the  villages 


WATERLOO.  221 

which  we  saw,  to  be  food  for  the  grain,  such  as  was 
growing  so  beautifully  around  us,  for  the  oats  and 
the  barley  for  ages  to  come.  If  they  had  known  that, 
there  was  more  than  one  of  them  who  would  not  have 
slept  so  well,  for  men  cling  to  life,  and  it  is  a  sad 
thing  to  think,  "  tc-day  I  draw  my  last  breath  1" 


222  WATERLOO. 


XVIII. 

Dtjrinu  the  night  the  air  was  heavy,  and  1  wafc 
ened  every  hour  in  spite  of  my  great  fatigue,  but 
my  comrades  slept  on,  some  talking  in  their  sleep. 
Buche  did  not  stir. 

Close  at  hand,  on  the  edge  of  the  forest,  our 
stacked  muskets  sparkled  in  the  moonlight.  In 
the  distance  on  the  left  I  could  hear  the  "  Qui  vive,"* 
and  on  our  front  the  "  Wer  da."f  Nearer  to  us,  our 
sentinels  stood  motionless,  up  to  their  waists  in  the 
standing  grain. 

I  rose  up  softly  and  looked  about  me.  In  the  vi- 
cinity of  Sombref,  two  leagues  to  our  right,  I  could 
hear  a  great  tumult  from  time  to  time,  which  would 
increase  and  then  cease  entirely.  It  might  have  been 
little  gusts  of  wind  among  the  leaves,  but  there  v?as 
not  a  breath  of  air  and  not  a  drop  of  dew  fell, 
and  I  thought,    "  Those  are  the  cannon  and  wagons 

*  Who  goes  there ! — French.         \  Who  goes  there ! — German, 


WATERLOO.  223 

uf  the  Prussians,  galloping  over  the  Namur  road; 
their  battalions  and  squadrons,  which  are  coming 
continually.  What  a  position  we  shall  be  in  to- 
morrow with  that  mass  of  men  already  before  us,  and 
re-enforcements  arriving  every  moment." 

They  had  extinguished  their  fires  at  St.  Amand 
and  at  Ligny,  but  they  burned  brighter  than  ever  at 
Sombref.  The  Prussians  who  had  just  arrived  after 
forced  marches  were  no  doubt  making  their  soup.  A 
thousand  thoughts  ran  through  my  brain,  and  I  said 
to  myself  from  time  to  time,  "  You  escaped  from  Lut- 
zen  and  Leipzig  and  Hanau,  why  not  escape  this 
time  also  ?" 

But  the  hopes  which  I  cherished  did  not  prevent 
me  from  realizing;  that  the  battle  would  be  a  ter- 
rible  one.  I  lay  down,  however,  and  slept  soundly 
for  half  an  hour,  when  the  drum-major,  Padoue  him- 
self, commenced  to  beat  the  reveille.  He  promenaded 
up  and  down  the  edge  of  the  wood  and  turned  off 
his  rolls  and  double  rolls  with  great  satisfaction.  The 
officers  were  standing  in  the  grain  on  the  hill-si  le  in 
a  group,  looking  toward  Fleurus,  and  talking  among 
themselves.  Our  reveille  always  commenced  before 
that  of  the  Austrians  or  Prussians  or  any  of  our  ene- 
mies. It  is  like  the  song  of  the  lark  at  dawn.  They 
commence  theirs  on  their  big  drums  with  a  dismal 


224  WATERLOO. 

roll  which  gives  you  the  idea  of  a  funeral.  But,  on 
the  contrary,  their  buglers  have  pretty  airs  for  sound- 
ing the  reveille,  while  ours  only  give  two  or  three 
blasts,  as  much  as  to  say :  "  Come,  let  us  be  going  ! 
there  is  no  time  to  lose."  Everybody  rose  and  the 
sun  came  up  splendidly  over  the  grain  fields,  and  we 
could  feel  beforehand  how  hot  it  would  be  at  noon. 

Buche  and  all  the  detailed  men  set  off  with  their 
canteens  for  water,  while  others  were  lighting  hand- 
fuls  of  straw  with  tinder  for  their  fires.  There  was 
no  lack  of  wood,  as  each  one  took  an  armful  from  the 
piles  that  were  already  cut.  Corporal  Duhem  and 
Sergeant  Rabot  and  Zebede  came  to  have  a  talk  with 
me.  We  were  together  in  1813,  and  they  had  been 
at  my  wedding,  and  in  spite  of  the  difference  in  our 
rank  they  had  always  continued  their  friendship  for 
me. 

"  Well !  Joseph,"  said  Zebede,  "  the  dance  is  going 

to  commence." 

"  Yes,"  I  replied,  and  recalling  the  words  of  poor 

Sergeant  Pinto  the  morning  before  Lutzen,  I  added 
with  a  wink,  "  this,  Zebede,  will  be  a  battle,  as  Ser- 
geant Pinto  said,  where  you  will  gain  the  cross 
between  the  thrusts  of  ramrod  and  bayonet,  and  if 
you  do  not  have  a  chance  now  you  need  never  ex 
pect  it." 


WATERLOO.  225 

They  all  began  to  laugh,  and  Zebede  said : 

"  Yes,  indeed,  the  poor  old  fellow  richly  deserved 
it,  but  it  is  harder  to  catch  than  the  bouquet  at  the 
top  of  a  climbing  pole." 

We  all  laughed  and  as  they  had  a  flask  of  brandy, 
we  took  a  crust  of  bread  together  as  we  watched  the 
movements  of  the  enemy  which  began  to  be  per- 
ceptible. Buche  had  returned  among  the  first  with 
his  canteen  and  now  stood  behind  us  with  his  ears 
wide  open  like  a  fox  on  the  alert. 

Files  of  cavalry  came  out  of  the  woods  and  crossed 
the  grain  fields  in  the  direction  of  St.  Amand,  the 
large  village  at  the  left  of  Fleurus. 

"  Those,"  said  Zebede,  "  are  the  light  horse  of  Pa- 
jol  who  will  deploy  as  scouts.  These  are  Exelman's 
dragoons.  When  the  others  have  ascertained  the 
positions  they  will  advance  in  line,  that  is  the  way 
they  always  do,  and  the  cannon  will  come  with  the 
infantry.  The  cavalry  will  form  on  the  right  or  the 
eft  and  support  the  flanks,  and  the  infantry  will  take 
the  front  rank.  They  will  form  their  attacking  col 
umns  on  the  good  roads  and  in  the  fields,  and  the 
affair  will  begin  with  a  cannonade  for  twenty  min- 
utes or  half  an  hour,  more  or  less,  and  when  half 
the  batteries  are  disabled,  the  Emperor  will  choose  a 

favorable  moment  to  put  us  in,  but  it  is  we  who  will 
10* 


226  WATERLOO. 

catch  the  bullets  and  canister  because  we  are  nearest* 
We  advance,  carry  arms,  in  readiness  for  a  charge,  at 
a  quick  step  and  in  good  order,  but  it  always  ends  in 
a  double  quick,  because  the  shot  makes  you  impatient 

warn  you,  conscripts,  beforehand,  so  that  you  may 
not  be  surprised."  More  than  twenty  conscripts  had 
ranged  themselves  behind  us  to  listen.  The  cavalry 
continued  to  pour* out  of  the  wood. 

"I  will  bet,"  said  Corporal  Duhem,  "that  the 
Fourth  cavalry  has  been  on  the  march  in  our  rear 
since  day-break." 

And  Rabot  said  they  would  have  to  take  time  to 
get  into  line,  as  it  was  so  bad  traversing  the  wood. 
We  were  discussing  the  matter  like  generals,  and  we 
scanned  the  position  of  the  Prussians  around  the  vil- 
lages, in  the  orchards,  and  behind  the  hedges,  which 
are  six  feet  high  in  that  country.  A  great  number 
of  their  guns  were  grouped  in  batteries  between 
Ligny  and  St.  Amand,  and  we  could  plainly  see  the 
bronze  shining  in  the  sun,  which  inspired  all  sorts  of 
reflections. 

"  I  am  sure,"  said  Zebede,  "  that  they  are  all  barri- 
caded, and  they  have  dug  ditches  and  pierced  the 
walls ;  we  should  have  done  well  to  push  on  yester- 
day, when  their  squares  retreated  to  the  first  village 
on  the  heights.     If  we  were  on  a  level  with  them  it 


WATERLOO.  227 

would  be  very  well,  but  to  climb  up  across   those 
hedges  under  the  enemy's  fire  will  cost  a  trifle,  unless 
something  should  happen  in  the  rear  as  is  sometimes 
he  case  with  the  Emperor." 

The  old  soldiers  were  talking  in  this  fashion  on  all 
sides,  and  the  conscripts  were  listening  with  open 
ears. 

Meanwhile  the  camp-kettles  were  suspended  over 
the  fire,  but  they  were  expressly  forbidden  to  use  their 
bayonets  for  this  purpose  as  it  destroyed  their  temper. 
It  was  about  seven  o'clock,  and  we  all  thought  that  the 
battle  would  be  at  St.  Amand.  The  village  was  sur- 
rounded by  hedges  and  shrubbery,  with  a  great  tower 
in  the  center,  and  higher  up  in  the  rear  there  were 
more  houses  and  a  winding  road  bordered  with  a 
stone  wall.  All  the  officers  said :  "  That  is  where 
the  struggle  will  be."  As  our  troops  came  from 
Charleroi  they  spread  over  the  plain  below  us,  in- 
fantry and  cavalry  side  by  side;  all  the  corps  of 
Vandamme  and  Gerard's  division.  Thousands  and 
thousands  of  helmets  glittered  in  t  lie  sun,  andBuche 
who  stood  beside  me,  exclaimed  : 

"  Oh  !  oh !  oh  !  look,  Joseph,  look !  they  come  con- 
tinually !" 

And  we  could  see  innumerable  bayonets  in  the  same 
direction  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 


228  WATERLOO. 

The  Prussians  were  spreading  more  and  more  ovei 
the  hill-side  near  the  windmills.  This  movement 
continued  till  eight  o'clock.  Nobody  was  hungry, 
but  we  ate  all  the  same,  so  as  not  to  reproach  our* 
selves;  for  the  battle,  once  begun,  might  last  two 
days  without  giving  us  a  chance  to  eat  again. 

Between  eight  and  nine  o'clock  the  first  battalions  of 
our  division  left  the  wood.  The  officers  came  to  shake 
hands  with  their  comrades,  but  the  staff  remained  in 
the  rear.  Suddenly  the  hussars  and  chasseurs  passed 
us,  extending  our  line  of  battle  toward  the  right. 
They  were  Morin's  cavalry.  Our  idea  was  that  when 
the  Prussians  should  have  become  engaged  in  the 
attack  on  St.  Amand,  we  would  fall  on  their  flank  at 
Ligny.  But  the  Prussians  were  on  their  guard,  and 
from  that  moment  they  stopped  at  Ligny,  instead  of 
going  on  to  St.  Amand.  They  even  came  lower  down, 
and  we  could  see  the  officers  posting  the  men  among 
the  hedges  and  in  the  gardens  and  behind  the  low 
walls  and  barracks.  We  thought  their  position  very 
3trong.  They  continued  to  come  lower  down  in  a 
sort  of  fold  of  the  hill-side  between  Ligny  and  Fleu- 
rus,  and  that  astonished  us,  for  we  did  not  yet  know 
that  a  little  brook  divided  the  village  into  two  parts, 
and  that  they  were  filling  the  houses  on  our  side,  and 
we  did  not  know  that  if  they   were  repulsed  they 


WATERLOO.  229 

could  retreat  up  the  hill  and  still  hold  us  always 
under  their  fire. 

If  we  knew  every  thing  about  such  affairs  before- 
hand, we  should  never  dare  to  commence  such  a  dan- 
gerous enterprise,  but  the  difficulties  are  discovered 
step  by  step.  We  were  destined  that  day  to  find  a 
great  many  things  which  we  did  not  expect. 

About  half-past  eight  several  of  our  regiments  had 
left  the  wood,  and  very  soon  the  drums  beat  the  as- 
sembly and  all  the  battalions  took  their  arms.  The 
general,  Count  Gerard,  arrived  with  his  staff,  and 
passing  us  at  a  gallop,  without  any  notice,  went  on 
to  the  hill  below  Fleurus.  Almost  immediately  the 
firing  commenced ;  the  scouts  of  Vandamme  ap 
proached  the  village  on  the  left,  and  two  pieces  of 
cannon  were  sent  off,  with  the  artillerymen  on  horse- 
back. After  five  or  six  discharges  of  cannon  from  the 
the  top  of  the  hill  the  musketry  ceased  and  our  scouts 
were  in  Fleurus,  and  we  saw  three  or  four  hundred 
Prussians  mounting  the  hill  in  the  distance,  toward 
Ligny.  General  Gerard,  after  looking  at  this  little  en« 
gagement,  came  back  with  his  staff  and  passed  slowly 
down  our  front,  inspecting  us  carefully,  as  if  he  wished 
to  ascertain  what  sort  of  humor  we  were  in.  He  was 
about  forty-five  years  old,  brown,  with  a  large  head,  a 
round  face,  the  lower  part  heavy,  with  a  pointed  chin, 


230  WATERLOO. 

A  great  many  peasants  in  our  country  resemble  him, 
and  they  are  not  the  most  stupid.  He  said  not  a 
word  to  us,  and  when  he  had  passed  the  whole 
length  of  our  line,  all  the  generals  and  colonels  were 
grouped  together.  The  command  was  given  to 
order  arms.  The  orderlies  then  set  off  like  the  wind ; 
this  engrossed  the  attention  of  all,  hut  not  a  man 
stirred.  The  rumor  spread  that  Grouchy  was  to  be 
commander-in-chief,  and  that  the  Emperor  had  at- 
tacked the  English  four  leagues  away,  on  the  route 
to  Brussels. 

This  news  put  us  in  any  thing  but  a  pleasant  hu- 
mor, and  more  than  one  said,  "  It  is  no  wonder  that 
we  are  here  doing  nothing  since  morning;  if  the 
Emperor  was  with  us,  we  should  have  given  battle 
long  ago,  and  the  Prussians  would  not  have  had  time 
to  know  where  they  were." 

This  was  the  talk  we  indulged  in,  and  it  shows  the 
injustice  of  men ;  for  three  hours  afterward,  in  the 
midst  of  shouts  of  "  Vive  VEmpereur"  Napoleon 
arrived.  These  shouts  swept  along  the  line  like  a 
tempest,  and  were  continued  even  opposite  Sombref. 
Now  every  thing  was  right.  That  lor  which  we  had 
reproached  Marshal  Grouchy,  was  perfectly  proper 
when  done  by  the  Emperor,  since  it  was  he. 

Very  soon  the  order  reached  us  to  advance  oui 


WATERLOO.  231 

ine  five  hundred  paces  to  the  right,  and  off  we  start- 
ed through  the  rye,  oats,  and  barley,  which  were 
swept  down  before  us,  but  the  principal  line  of  battle 
on  the  left  was  not  changed. 

As  we  reached  a  broad  road  which  we  had  not  be- 
fore seen  and  came  in  sight  of  Fleurus,  with  its  little 
brook  bordered  with  willows,  the  order  was  given 
to  halt !  A  murmur  ran  through  the  whole  divi- 
sion— "  There  he  is  !" 

He  was  on  horseback,  and  only  accompanied  by  a 
few  of  the  officers  of  his  staff. 

We  could  only  recognize  him  in  the  distance  by 
his  gray  coat  and  his  hat ;  his  carriage  with  its  es- 
cort of  lancers  was  in  the  rear.  He  entered  Fleurus 
by  the  high  road,  and  remained  in  the  village  more 
than  an  hour,  while  we  were  roasting  in  the  grain 
fields. 

At  the  end  of  this  hour,  which  we  thought  inter- 
minable, files  of  staff  officers  set  off,  at  a  gallop,  bent 
over  their  saddle-bows  till  their  noses  were  between 
their  horse's  ears.  Two  of  them  stopped  near  General 
Gerard,  one  remained  with  him,  and  the  other  went 
on  again.  Still  we  waited,  until  suddenly  the  bands 
of  all  the  regiments  began  to  play ;  drums  and  trum- 
pets all  together;  and  that  immense  line  which  ex 
tended  from  the  rear  of  St.  Amand  to  the  forest, 


232  WATERLOO. 

swung  round,  with  the  right  wing  in  the  advance 
As  it  reached  beyond  our  division  in  the  rear,  we  ad- 
vanced our  line  still  more  obliquely,  and  again  the 
order  came,  Halt !  The  road  running  out  of  Fleurus 
was  opposite  us,  a  blank  wall  on  the  left ;  behind 
which  were  trees  and  a  large  house,  and  in  front  a 
windmill  of  red  brick,  like  a  tower. 

We  had  hardly  "halted,  when  the  Emperor  came 
out  of  this  mill  with  three  or  four  generals  and  two 
old  peasants  in  blouses,  holding  their  cotton  caps  in 
their  hands.  The  whole  division  commenced  to 
shout,  "  Vive  V Empereur !" 

I  saw  him  plainly  as  he  came  along  a  path  in  front 
of  the  battalion,  with  his  head  bent  down  and  his 
hands  behind  his  back  listening  to  the  old  bald  peas- 
ant. He  took  no  notice  of  the  shouts,  but  turned 
round  twice  and  pointed  toward  Ligny.  I  saw  him 
as  plainly  as  I  could  see  Father  Goulden  when  we 
sat  opposite  each  other  at  table.  He  had  grown 
much  stouter  than  when  he  was  at  Leipzig,  and  look- 
ed yellow.  If  it  had  not  been  for  his  gray  coat  and 
his  hat,  I  should  hardly  have  recognized  him.  His 
cheeks  were  sunken  and  he  looked  much  older.  A\] 
this  came,  I  presume,  from  his  troubles  at  Elba,  and 
in  thinking  of  the  mistakes  he  had  made ;  for  he  was 
a  wise  man,  and  could  see  his  own  faults.     He  had 


WATERLOO.  233 

destroyed  the  revolution  which  had  sustained  him, 
he  had  recalled  the  emigress  who  despised  him,  he  had 
married  an  archduchess  who  preferred  Vienna  to 
Paris,  and  he  had  chosen  his  bitterest  enemies  for  his 
counselors. 

In  short  he  had  put  every  thing  back  where  it  was 
before  the  revolution,  nothing  was  wanting  but 
Louis  XVIIL,  and  then  the  kings  had  put  Louis 
XVIII.  on  his  throne  again.  Now  he  had  come  to 
overthrow  the  legitimate  sovereign,  and  some  called 
him  a  despot,  and  some  a  Jacobin.  It  was  unfortu- 
nate for  him  that  he  had  done  every  thing  possible 
to  facilitate  the  return  of  the  Bourbons.  Nothing  re- 
mained to  him  but  his  army,  if  he  lost  that,  he  lost 
every  thing,  for  many  of  the  people  wanted  liberty 
like  Father  Goulden,  others  wanted  tranquillity  and 
peace  like  Mother  Gredel,  and  like  me  and  all  those 
who  were  forced  into  the  war. 

These  things  made  him  terribly  anxious,  he  had 
lost  the  confidence  of  the  whole  world.  The  old 
soldiers  alone  preserved  their  attachment  to  him,  and 
asked  only  to  conquer  or  die.  With  such  notions 
you  can  not  fail  of  one  or  the  other,  all  is  plain  and 
clear ;  but  a  great  many  people  do  not  have  these 
ideas,  and  for  my  part  I  loved  Catherine  a  thousand 
times  more  than  the  Emperor. 


234  WATERLOO. 

On  reaching  a  turn  in  the  wall,  where  the  hussars 
were  waiting  for  him,  he  mounted  his  horse,  and 
General  Gerard  who  had  recognized  him  came  up  at 
a  gallop.  He  turned  round  for  two  seconds  to  listen 
to  him,  and  then  both  went  into  Fleurus. 

Still  we  waited !  About  two  o'clock  General 
Gerard  returned,  and  our  line  was  obliqued  a  third 
time  more  to  the  right,  and  then  the  whole  division 
broke  into  columns,  and  we  followed  the  road  to 
Fleurus  with  the  cannon  and  caissons  at  intervals 
between  the  brigades.  The  dust  enveloped  us  com- 
pletely. 

Buche  said  to  me : 

"  Cost  what  it  may,  I  must  drink  at  the  first  pud- 
die  we  come  to." 

Bat  we  did  not  find  any  water.  The  music  did 
not  cease,  and  masses  of  cavalry  kept  coming  up  be- 
hind us,  principally  dragoons.  We  were  still  on  the 
march  when  suddenly  the  roar  of  musketry  and 
cannon  broke  on  our  ears  as  when  water  breaking 
over  its  barriers  sweeps  all  before  it. 

I  knew  what  it  was,  but  Buche  turned  pale  and 
looked  ai  me  in  mute  astonishment. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  Jean,"  said  I,  "  those  over  there  are 
attacking  St.  Amand,  but  our  turn  will  come  pres- 
ently." 


WATERLOO.  235 

The  music  had  ceased  but  the  thunder  of  the  guns 
had  redoubled,  and  we  heard  the  order  on  all  sides, 
"Halt!" 

The  division  stopped  on  the  road  and  the  gunners 
ran  out  at  intervals  and  put  their  pieces  in  line  fifty 
paces  in  front,  with  their  caissons  in  the  rear. 

We  were  opposite  Ligny.  We  could  only  see  a 
white  line  of  houses  half  hidden  in  the  orchards,  with 
a  church  spire  above  them — slopes  of  yellow  earth, 
trees,  hedges,  and  palisades.  There  we  were,  twelve 
or  fifteen  thousand  men  without  the  cavalry,  wait- 
ing the  order  to  attack. 

The  battle  raged  fiercely  about  St.  Amand,  and 
great  masses  of  smoke  rose  over  the  combatants  to- 
ward the  sky. 

While  waiting  for  our  turn,  my  thoughts  turned  to 
Catherine  with  more  tenderness  then  ever,  the  idea 
that  she  would  soon  be  a  mother  crossed  my  mind, 
and  then  I  besought  God  to  spare  my  life,  but  with 
this,  came  the  comfort  of  feeling  that  our  child  would 
be  there  if  I  should  die  to  console  them  all,  Cathe- 
rine, Aunt  Gredel,  and  Father  Goulden.  If  it  should 
be  a  boy  they  would  call  it  Joseph,  and  caress  it,  and 
Father  Goulden  would  dandle  it  on  his  knee,  Aunf 
Gredel  would  love  it,  and  Catherine  would  think  o/ 
me  as  she  embraced  it,  and  I  should  not  be  altogetht 


236  WATERLOO. 

dead  to  them.     But  I  clung  to  life  while  I  saw  ho^ 
terrible  was  the  conflict  before  us. 

Buche  said  to  me,  "Joseph,  will  you  promise  me 
something  ? — I  have  a  cross — if  I  am  killed." 

He  shook  my  hand,  and  I  said :  "  I  promise." 

"  Well !"  he  added,  "  it  is  here  on  my  breast.    Yo 
must  carry  it  to  Harberg  and  hang  it  up  in  the  chap- 
el in  remembrance  of  Jean  Buche,  dead  in  the  faith 
of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit." 

He  spoke  very  earnestly,  and  I  thought  his  wish 
very  natural.  Some  die  for  the  rights  of  Humanity ; 
with  some,  the  last  thought  is  for  their  mother, 
others  are  influenced  by  the  example  of  just  men 
who  have  sacrificed  themselves  for  the  race,  but  the 
feeling  is  the  same  in  every  case,  though  each  one 
expresses  it  according  to  his  own  manner  of  thinking. 

I  gave  him  the  desired  promise  and  we  waited  for 
nearly  half  an  hour  longer.  All  the  troops  as  they 
left  the  wood  came  and  formed  near  us,  and  the 
cavalry  were  mustering  on  our  right  as  if  to  attack 
Sombref. 

Up  to  half-past  two  o'clock  not  a  gun  had  been 
fired,  when  an  aid-de-camp  of  the  Emperor  arrived 
on  the  road  to  Fleurus,  at  full  speed,  and  I  thought 
immediately,  "  Our  turn  has  come  now.  May  God 
watch  over  us,  for,  miserable  wretches  that  we  are. 


WATERLOO.  237 

we  can  not  save  ourselves  in  such  a  slaughter  as  is 
threatening." 

I  had  scarcely  made  these  reflections  when  two 
battalions  on  the  right  set  off  on  the  road,  with  the 
artillery,  toward  Sombref,  where  the  Uhlans  and 
Prussian  cavalry  were  deploying  in  front  of  our  dra- 
goons. It  was  the  fortune  of  these  two  battalions  to 
remain  in  position  on  the  route  all  that  day  to  ob- 
serve the  cavalry  of  the  enemy,  while  we  went  to 
take  the  village  where  the  Prussians  were  in  force. 

The  attacking  columns  were  formed  just  as  the 
clock  struck  three;  I  was  in  the  one  on  the  left  which 
moved  first  at  a  quick  step  along  a  winding  road. 

On  the  hill  where  Ligny  was  situated,  was  an  im- 
mense ruin.  It  had  been  built  of  brick  and  was 
pierced  with  holes  and  overlooked  us  as  we  mounted 
the  hill.  We  watched  it  sharply  too,  through  the 
grain  as  we  went.  The  second  column  left  imme- 
diately after  us  and  passed  by  a  shorter  route  directly 
up  the  hill,  we  were  to  meet  them  at  the  entrance  to 
the  village.  I  do  not  know  when  the  third  column 
left,  as  we  did  not  meet  again  till  later. 

All  went  smoothly  until  we  reached  a  point  where 
the  road  was  cut  through  a  little  elevation  and  then 
ran  down  to  the  village.  As  we  passed  through  be- 
tween those  little  hills  covered  with  grain,  and  caught 


238  WATERLOO. 

sight  of  the  nearest  house,  a  veritable  hail  of  balls 
fell  on  the  head  of  the  column  with  a  frightful  noise. 
From  every  hole  in  the  old  ruin,  from  all  the  windows 
and  loop-holes  in  the  houses,  from  the  hedges  and  or- 
chards and  from  above  the  stone  walls  the  muskets 
showered  their  deadly  fire  upon  us  like  lightning. 

At  the  same  time  a  battery  of  fifteen  pieces  which 
had  been  for  that  very  purpose  placed  in  a  field  in  the 
rear  of  the  great  tower  at  the  left  of,  and  higher  up 
than  Ligny,  near  the  windmill,  opened  upon  us  with  a 
roar,  compared  with  which  that  of  the  musketry  was 
nothing.  Those  who  had  unfortunately  passed  the 
cut  in  the  road  fell  over  each  other  in  heaps  in  the 
smoke.  At  that  moment  we  heard  the  fire  of  the 
other  column  which  had  engaged  the  enemy  at  our 
right,  and  the  roar  of  other  cannon,  though  we  could 
not  tell  whether  they  were  ours  or  those  of  the  Prus» 
sians. 

Fortunately  the  whole  battalion  had  not  passed 
the  little  knoll,  and  the  balls  whistled  through  the 
grain  above  us,  and  tore  up  the  ground  without  doing 
us  the  least  injury.  Every  time  this  whizzing  was 
heard,  I  observed  that  the  conscripts  near  me  ducked 
their  heads,  and  Jean  Buche,  I  remember,  was  staring 
at  me  with  open  eyes.  The  old  soldiers  marched 
with  tightly  compressed  lips. 


WATERLOO.  239 

The  columi  stopped.  For  an  instant  each  man 
thought  whether  it  would  not  be  better  to  turn  back, 
but  it  was  only  for  a  second,  the  enemy's  fire  seemed 
to  slacken,  the  officers  all  drew  their  sabers  and 
shouted,  "  Forward !" 

The  column  set  off  again  at  a  run  and  threw  itself 
into  the  road  that  led  down  the  hill  across  the  hedges. 
From  the  palisades  and  the  walls  behind  which  the 
Prussians  were  in  ambush,  they  continued  to  pour 
their  musketry  fire  upon  us.  But  woe  to  every  one 
we  encountered  !  they  defended  themselves  with  the 
desperation  of  wolves,  but  a  few  blows  from  a  mus- 
ket, or  a  bayonet  thrust,  soon  stretched  them  out 
in  some  corner.  A  great  number  of  old  soldiers 
with  gray  mustaches  had  secured  their  retreat,  and 
retired  in  good  order,  turning  to  fire  a  last  shot, 
and  then  slipped  through  a  breach  or  shut  a  door. 
We  followed  them  without  hesitation,  we  had  neither 
prudence  nor  mercy. 

At  last,  quite  scattered  and  in  the  greatest  confu- 
sion, we  reached  the  first  houses,  when  the  fusillade 
commenced  again  from  the  windows,  the  corners  of 
the  streets,  and  from  everywhere.  There  were  the  or 
chards  and  the  gardens  and  the  stone  walls  which  ran 
along  the  hill-side,  but  they  were  thrown  down  and 
demolishel,  the  palisades  torn  up,  and  could  no  longer 


240  WATERLOO. 

serve  as  a  shelter  or  a  defense.  From  the  well-bar- 
ricaded cottages,  they  still  poured  their  fire  upon  us. 
In  ten  minutes  more,  we  should  have  been  extermina 
ted  to  the  last  man,  seeing  this,  the  column  turned 
down  the  hill  again,  drummers  and  sappers,  officers 
and  soldiers  pell-mell,  all  went  without  once  turning 
their  heads  to  look  back.  I  jumped  over  the  pali- 
sades where  I  never  should  have  thought  it  possible 
at  any  other  time,  with  my  knapsack  and  cartridge- 
box  at  my  back ;  the  others  followed  my  example, 
and  we  all  tumbled  in  a  heap  like  a  falling  wall. 

Once  in  the  road  again  between  the  hills,  we 
stopped  to  breathe.  Some  stretched  themselves  on 
the  ground,  and  others  sat  down  with  their  backs 
against  the  slope.  The  officers  were  furious ;  as  if 
they  too  had  not  followed  the  movement  to  retreat, 
and  some  shouted  to  bring  up  the  cannon,  and  others 
wanted  to  re-form  the  troops,  though  they  could 
scarcely  make  themselves  heard  in  the  midst  of  the 
thunder  of  the  artillery  which  shook  the  air  like  a 
tempest. 

I  saw  Jean  Buche  hurrying  back  with  his  bayontl 
red  with  blood.  He  took  his  place  beside  me  without 
saying  a  word,  and  commenced  to  reload. 

Captain  Gregoire,  Lieutenant  Certain,  and  several 
sergeants  and   corporals,   and   more  than  a  hundreJ 


WATERLOO.  241 

V 

men  were  left  behind  in  the  orchards;  and  the  first 
two  battalions  of  the  column  had  suffered  as  much 
as  we. 

Zebede,  with  his  great  crooked  nose,  white  as 
enow,  seeing  me  at  some  distance,  shouted,  "  Joseph 
— no  quarter !" 

Great  masses  of  white  smoke  rose  over  the  sides  of 
the  road.  The  whole  hill-side  from  Ligny  to  St. 
Amand  was  on  fire  behind  the  willows  and  aspens 
and  poplars. 

As  I  crept  up  on  my  hands  and  knees,  and  looked 
over  the  surface  of  the  grain  and  saw  this  terrible 
spectacle,  and  saw  the  long  black  lines  of  infantry 
on  the  top  of  the  hill  and  near  the  windmills,  and 
the  innumerable  cavalry  on  their  flanks  ready  to 
fall  upon  us.     I  went  back  thinking  : 

"  We  shall  never  rout  that  army.  It  fills  the  vil- 
lages, and  guards  the  roads,  and  covers  the  hill  as 
far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  there  are  guns  everywhere, 
and  it  is  contrary  to  reason  to  persist  in  such  an 
enterprise." 

I  was  indignant  and  even  disgusted  with  the  gen- 
erals. 

All  this  did  not  take  ten  minutes.     God  only  knew 

what  had  become  of  our  other  two  columns,     The 

terrible  musketry  fire  on  the  left,  and  the  volleys  of 
11 


242  WATERLOO. 

grape  and  canister  which  we  heard  rushing  through 
the  air,  were  no  doubt  intended  for  them. 

I  thought  we  had  had  our  full  share  of  troubles, 
when  Generals  Gerard,  Yichery,  and  Schoeffer  came 
riding  up  at  full  speed  on  the  road  below  us,  shouting 
like  madmen,  "  Forward  !  Forward !" 

They  drew  their  swords,  and  there  was  nothing  to 
do  but  go. 

At  this  moment  our  batteries  on  the  road  below 
opened  their  fire  on  Ligny,  the  roofs  in  the  village 
tumbled,  and  the  walls  sank,  and  we  rushed  forward 
with  the  generals  at  our  head  with  their  swords 
drawn,  the  drums  beating  the  charge.  We  shouted 
"  Vive  VHJmpereur."  The  Prussian  bullets  swept  us 
away  by  dozens,  and  shot  fell  like  hail,  and  the  drums 
kept  up  their  "  pan-pan-pan."  We  saw  nothing, 
heard  nothing,  as  we  crossed  the  orchards,  nobody 
paid  any  attention  to  those  who  fell,  and  in  two  min- 
utes after,  we  entered  the  village,  broke  in  the  doors 
with  the  butts  of  our  muskets,  while  the  Prussian 
fired  upon  us  from  the  windows. 

It  was  a  thousand  times  worse  in-doors,  because 
yells  of  rage  mingled  in  the  uproar ;  we  rushed  into 
the  houses  with  fixed  bayonets  and  massacred  each 
other  without  mercy.  On  every  side  the  cry  rose, 
"No  quarter!" 


WATERLOO.  24:3 

The  Prussians  who  were  surprised  in  the  first  houses 
we  entered,  were  old  soldiers  and  asked  for  nothing 
better.  They  perfectly  understood  what  "  No  quar- 
ter" meant,  and  made  a  most  desperate  defense. 

As  we  reached  the  third  or  fourth  house  on  a 
tolerably  wide  street  on  which  was  a  church,  and  a 
little  bridge  further  on,  the  air  was  full  of  smoke 
from  the  fires  caused  by  our  bombs;  great  broken 
tiles  and  slate  were  raining  down  upon  us,  and  every 
thing  roared  and  whistled  and  cracked,  when  Zebede, 
with  a  terrible  look  in  his  eyes,  seized  me  by  the  arm, 
shouting,  "  Come !" 

We  rushed  into  a  large  room  already  filled  with 
soldiers,  on  the  first  floor  of  a  house ;  it  was  dark,  as 
they  had  covered  the  windows  with  sacks  of  earth, 
but  we  could  see  a  steep  wooden  stair-way  at  one 
end,  down  which  the  blood  was  running.  We  heard 
musket-shots  from  above  and  the  flashes  each  moment 
showed  us  five  or  six  of  our  men  sunk  in  a  heap 
against  the  balustrade  with  their  arms  hanging  down, 
and  the  others  running  over  their  bodies  with  their 
bayonets  fixed,  trying  to  force  their  way  into  the 
loft. 

It  was  horrible  to  see  those  men  with  their  brist- 
ling mustaches,  and  brown  cheeks,  every  wrinkle  ex- 
pressing the  fury  which  possessed  them,  determined 


244  WATERLOO. 

to  force  a  passage  at  any  cost.     The  sight  made  m€ 
furious,  and  I  shouted,  "  Forward  !  No  quarter !" 

If  I  had  been  near  the  stair-way,  I  might  have  beeri 
cut  to  pieces  in  mounting,  but  fortunately  for  me, 
others  were  ahead  and  not  one  would  give  up  his 
place, 

An  old  fellow,  covered  with  wounds,  succeeded 
in  reaching  the  top  of  the  stairs  under  the  bayo 
nets.  As  he  gained  the  loft  he  let  go  his  musket, 
and  seized  the  balustrade  with  both  hands.  Two 
balls  from  muskets  touching  his  breast  did  not  make 
him  let  go  his  hold.  Three  or  four  others  rushed  up 
behind  him  striving  each  to  be  first,  and  leaped  over 
the  top  stairs  into  the  loft  above. 

Then  followed  such  an  uproar  as  is  impossible  to 
describe,  shots  followed  each  other  in  quick  succes- 
sion, and  the  shouts  and  trampling  of  feet  made  us 
think  the  house  was  coming  down  over  our  heads. 
Others  followed,  and  when  I  reached  the  scene  behind 
Zebede,  the  room  was  full  of  dead  and  wounded  men, 
the  windows  were  blown  out,  the  walls  splashed 
with  blood,  and  not  a  Prussian  was  left  on  his  feet. 
Five  or  six  of  our  men  were  supporting  themselves 
against  the  different  pieces  of  furniture,  smiling  fe- 
rociously. Nearly  all  of  them  had  balls  or  bayonet 
thrusts  in  their  bodies,  but  the  pleasure  of  revenge 


WATERLOO.  213 

The  Prussians  who  were  surprised  in  the  first  houses 
we  entered,  were  old  soldiers  and  asked  for  nothing 
better.  They  perfectly  understood  what  "  No  quar- 
ter" meant,  and  made  a  most  desperate  defense. 

As  we  reached  the  third  or  fourth  house  on  a 
tolerably  wide  street  on  which  was  a  church,  and  a 
little  bridge  further  on,  the  air  was  full  of  smoke 
from  the  fires  caused  by  our  bombs ;  great  broken 
tiles  and  slate  were  raining  down  upon  us,  and  every 
thing  roared  and  whistled  and  cracked,  when  Zebede, 
with  a  terrible  look  in  his  eyes,  seized  me  by  the  arm, 
shouting,  "  Come  !" 

We  rushed  into  a  large  room  already  filled  with 
soldiers,  on  the  first  floor  of  a  house  ;  it  was  dark,  as 
they  had  covered  the  windows  with  sacks  of  earth, 
but  we  could  see  a  steep  wooden  stair-way  at  one 
end,  down  which  the  blood  was  running.  We  heard 
musket-shots  from  above  and  the  flashes  each  moment 
showed  us  five  or  six  of  our  men  sunk  in  a  heap 
against  the  balustrade  with  their  arms  hanging  down, 
and  the  others  running  over  their  bodies  with  their 
bayonets  fixed,  trying  to  force  their  way  into  the 
loft. 

It  was  horrible  to  see  those  men  with  their  brist- 
ling mustaches,  and  brown  cheeks,  every  wrinkle  ex- 
pressing the  fury  which  possessed  them,  determined 


244  WATERLOO. 

to  force  a  passage  at  any  cost.     The  sight  made  mc 
furious,  and  I  shouted,  "  Forward  !  No  quarter  !" 

If  I  had  been  near  the  stair- way,  I  might  have  beet  i 
cut  to  pieces  in  mounting,  but  fortunately  for  me, 
others  were  ahead  and  not  one  would  give  up  his 
place, 

An  old  fellow,  covered  with  wounds,  succeeded 
in  reaching  the  top-  of  the  stairs  under  the  bayo 
nets.  As  he  gained  the  loft  he  let  go  his  musket, 
and  seized  the  balustrade  with  both  hands.  Two 
balls  from  muskets  touching  his  breast  did  not  make 
him  let  go  his  hold.  Three  or  four  others  hed  up 
behind  him  striving  each  to  be  first,  and  leaped  over 
the  top  stairs  into  the  loft  above. 

Then  followed  such  an  uproar  as  is  impossible  to 
describe,  shots  followed  each  other  in  quick  succes- 
sion, and  the  shouts  and  trampling  of  feet  made  us 
think  the  house  was  coming  down  over  our  heads. 
Others  followed,  and  when  I  reached  the  scene  behind 
Zebede,  the  room  was  full  of  dead  and  wounded  men, 
the  windows  were  blown  out,  the  walls  splashed 
with  blood,  and  not  a  Prussian  was  left  on  his  feeto 
Five  or  six  of  our  men  were  supporting  themselves 
against  the  different  pieces  of  furniture,  smiling  fe- 
rociously. Nearly  all  of  them  had  balls  or  bayonet 
thrusts  in  their  bodies,  but  the  pleasure  of  revenge 


WATERLOO.  245 

<ras  greater  than  the  pain  of  their  wounds.     My  hail 
stands  on  end  when  I  recall  that  scene. 

As  soon  as  Zebede  saw  that  the  Prussians  were  all 
dead,  he  went  down  again,  saying  to  me,  "  Come, 
there  is  nothing  more  to  do  here." 

We  went  out  and  found  that  our  column  had 
already  passed  the  church,  and  thousands  of  musket- 
shot  crackled  against  the  bridge  like  the  fire  breaking 
out  from  a  coal-pit. 

The  second  column  had  come  down  the  broad 
street  on  ~""*  right  and  joined  ours,  and  in  the  mean 
time,  oih  those  Prussian  columns  which  we  had 
seen  on  the  hill  in  the  rear  of  Ligny,  came  down  to 
drive  us  out  of  the  village. 

Here  it  was  that  we  had  the  first  encounter  in 
force.  Two  staff  officers  rode  down  the  street  by 
which  we  had  come. 

"  Those  men,"  said  Zebede,  "  are  going  to  order  up 
the  guns.  When  they  arrive,  Joseph,  you  will  see 
whether  they  can  rout  us." 

He  ran  and  I  followed  him.  The  fight  at  the 
bridge  continued.  The  old  church  clock  struck  five. 
We  had  destroyed  all  the  Prussians  on  this  side  the 
stream  except  those  who  were  in  ambush  in  the  great 
old  ruin  at  the  left,  which  was  full  of  holes.  It  had 
been  set  on  fire  at  the  top  by  our  howitzers,  but  the 


246  WATERLOO. 

fire  continued  from  the  lower  stories,  and  we  wert 
obliged  to  avoid  it. 

i  In  front  of  the  church  we  were  in  force.  We 
found  the  little  square  filled  with  troops  ready  to 
march,  and  others  were  coming  by  the  broad  street, 
which  traversed  the  whole  length  of  Ligny.  Only 
the  head  of  the  column  was  engaged  at  the  little 
bridge.  The  Prussians  tried  hard  to  repulse  them. 
The  discharges  in  file  followed  each  other  like  run- 
ning water.  The  square  was  so  filled  with  smoke 
that  we  could  see  nothing  but  the  bayonets,  the 
front  of  the  church,  and  the  officers  on  the  steps  giv- 
ing their  orders.  Now  and  then  a  staff  officer  would 
set  off  at  a  gallop,  and  the  air  round  the  old  slated 
spire  was  full  of  rooks  whirling  about  affrighted 
with  the  noise.  The  cannon  at  St.  Amand  roared 
incessantly. 

Between  the  gables  on  the  left,  we  could  see  on 
the  hill,  the  long  blue  lines  of  infantry  and  masses  of 
cavalry  coming  from  Sombref  to  turn  our  columns. 
It  was  there  in  our  rear  that  the  desperate  combats 
took  place  between  the  Uhlans  and  our  hussars. 
(How  many  of  these  Uhlans  we  saw  next  morning 
stretched  dead  on  the  plain ! 

Our  battalion  having  suffered  the  most,  we  fell 
back  to  the  second  rank.     We  soon  found  our  own 


WATERLOO.  245 

«ras  greater  than  the  pain  of  their  wounds.    My  hair 
stands  on  end  when  I  recall  that  scene. 

As  soon  as  Z6bede  saw  that  the  Prussians  were  all 
dead,  he  went  down  again,  saying  to  me,  "  Come, 
there  is  nothing  more  to  do  here." 

We  went  out  and  found  that  our  column  had 
already  passed  the  church,  and  thousands  of  musket- 
shot  crackled  against  the  bridge  like  the  fire  breaking 
out  from  a  coal-pit. 

The  second  column  had  come  down  the  broad 
street  on  our  right  and  joined  ours,  and  in  the  mean 
time,  one  of  those  Prussian  columns  which  we  had 
seen  on  the  hill  in  the  rear  of  Ligny,  came  down  to 
drive  us  out  of  the  village. 

Here  it  was  that  we  had  the  first  encounter  in 
force.  Two  staff  officers  rode  down  the  street  by 
which  we  had  come. 

"  Those  men,"  said  Zebede,  "  are  going  to  order  up 
the  guns.  When  they  arrive,  Joseph,  you  will  see 
whether  they  can  rout  us." 

He  ran  and  I  followed  him.  The  fight  at  the 
bridge  continued.  The  old  church  clock  struck  five. 
We  had  destroyed  all  the  Prussians  on  this  side  the 
stream  except  those  who  were  in  ambush  in  the  great 
old  ruin  at  the  left,  which  was  full  of  holes.  It  had 
been  set  on  fire  at  the  top  by  our  howitzers,  but  th6 


246  WATERLOO. 

fire  continued  from  the  lower  stories,  and  we  were 
obliged  to  avoid  it. 

In  front  of  the  church  we  were  in  force.  We 
found  the  little  square  filled  with  troops  ready  to 
march,  and  others  were  coming  by  the  broad  street, 
which  traversed  the  whole  length  of  Ligny.  Only 
the  head  of  the  column  was  engaged  at  the  little 
bridge.  The  Prussians  tried  hard  to  repulse  them. 
The  discharges  in  file  followed  each  other  like  run- 
ning water.  The  square  was  so  filled  with  smoke 
that  we  could  see  nothing  but  the  bayonets,  the 
front  of  the  church,  and  the  officers  on  the  steps  giv- 
ing their  orders.  Now  and  then  a  staff  officer  would 
set  off  at  a  gallop,  and  the  air  round  the  old  slated 
spire  was  full  of  rooks  whirling  about  afirighted 
with  the  noise.  The  cannon  at  St.  Amand  roared 
incessantly. 

Between  the  gables  on  the  left,  we  could  see  on 
the  hill,  the  long  blue  lines  of  infantry  and  masses  of 
cavalry  coming  from  Sombref  to  turn  our  columns. 
It  was  there  in  our  'rear  that  the  desperate  combats 
took  place  between  the  Uhlans  and  our  hussars. 
How  many  of  these  Uhlans  we  saw  next  morning 
stretched  dead  on  the  plain ! 

Our  battalion  having  suffered  the  most,  we  fell 
back  to  the  second  rank.     We  soon  found  our  own 


WATERLOO.  247 

company  commanded  by  Captain  Florentin.  The 
guns  were  arriving  by  the  same  street  on  which  we 
were ;  the  horses  at  full  gallop  foaming  and  shaking 
their  heads  furiously,  while  the  wheels  crushed  every 
thing  before  them.  Ail  this  produced  a  tremendous 
uproar,  but  the  thunder  of  cannon  and  the  crash  of 
musketry  was  all  that  could  be  distinguished.  The 
soldiers  were  all  shouting  and  singing,  with  their 
guns  on  their  shoulders,  but  we  knew  this  only  by  see- 
ing their  open  mouths. 

I  had  just  taken  my  place  by  the  side  of  Buch$ 
and  had  begun  to  breathe,  when  a  forward  movement 
began. 

This  time  the  plan  was  to  cross  the  little  stream 
push  the  Prussians  out  of  Ligny,  mount  the  hill  be- 
hind and  cut  their  line  in  two,  and  the  battle  would 
be  gained.  Each  one  of  us  understood  that,  but 
with  such  masses  of  troops  as  they  held  in  reserve,  it 
was  no  small  affair. 

Every  thing  moved  toward  the  bridge,  but  we 
could  see  nothing  but  the  five  or  six  men  before  us, 
and  I  was  well  satisfied  to  know  that  the  head  of  the 
column  was  far  in  front. 

But  I  was  most  delighted  when  Captain  Florentin 
halted  our  company  in  front  of  an  old  barn  with  the 
door  broken  down,  and  posted  the  remnant  of  the 


248  WATERLOO. 

battalion  behind  the  ruins  in  order  to  sustain  Jie 
attacking  columns  by  firing  from  the  windows. 

There  were  fifteen  of  us  in  that  barn  and  I  can  see 
it  now,  with  the  door  hanging  by  one  hinge,  and  * 
battered  with  the  balls,  and  the  ladder  running  up 
through  a  square  hole,  three  or  four  dead  Prussians 
leaning  against  the  walls,  and  a  window  at  the  other 
end  looking  into  the  street  in  the  rear. 

Zebede  commanded  our  post,  Lieutenant  Breton- 
ville  occupied  the  house  opposite  with  another  squad, 
and  Captain  Florentin  went  somewhere  else.  The 
street  was  filled  with  troops  quite  up  to  the  two  cor- 
ners near  the  brook. 

The  first  thing  we  tried  to  do  was  to  put  up  the 
door  and  fasten  it,  but  we  had  hardly  commenced 
when  we  heard  a  terrible  crash  in  the  street,  and  walls, 
shutters,  tiles,  and  every  thing  were  swept  away  at 
a  stroke.  Two  of  our  men  who  were  outside  holding 
up  the  door,  fell  as  if  cut  down  with  a  scythe. 

At  the  same  moment  we  could  hear  the  steps  of 
the  retreating  column  rolling  over  the  bridge,  while 
a  dozen  more  such  explosions  made  us  draw  back  in 
spite  of  ourselves.  It  was  a  battery  of  sis  pieces 
charged  with  canister  which  Blucher  had  masked 
at  the  end  of  the  street,  and  which  now  opened 
upon  us. 


WATERLOO,  249 

TLe  whole  column— drummers,  soldiers,  officers, 
mounted  and  foot,  were  in  retreat,  pushing  and  jost 
ling  each  other,  swept  along  as  by  a  hurricane.  No- 
body looked  back,  those  who  fell  were  lost.  The  last 
ones  had  hardly  passed  our  door  when  Zebede,  who 
looked  out  to  see  what  had  happened,  shouted  in 
voice  of  thunder,  "  The  Prussians !" 

He  fired,  and  several  of  us  rushed  for  the  ladder, 
but  before  we  could  think  of  climbing  they  were 
upon  us.  Zebede,  Buche,  and  all  who  had  not  had 
time  to  get  up  the  ladder  drove  them  back  with  their 
bayonets.  It  seems  to  me  as  if  I  could  see  those 
Prussians  still,  with  their  big  mustaches,  their  red 
faces  and  flat  shakos,  furious  at  being  checked. 

I  never  had  such  a  shock  as  that,  Zebede  shouted, 
"No  quarter,"  just  as  if  we  had  been  the  stronger. 
But  immediately  he  received  a  blow  on  the  head 
from  the  butt  of  a  musket  and  fell. 

I  saw  that  he  was  going  to  be  murdered  and  I 
burned  for  revenge.  I  shouted,  "  To  the  bayonet," 
and  we  all  fell  upon  the  rascals,  while  our  comrades 
fired  at  them  from  above,  and  a  fusillade  commenced 
from  the  houses  opposite. 

The  Prussians  fell  back,  but  a  little  distance  away 

there  was  a  whole  battalion.     Buche  took  Zeb6de  on 

his  shoudlers  and  started  up  the  ladder.     We  follow 
11* 


250  WATERLOO. 

ed  him,  shouting  "  Hurry  !"  while  we  aided  him  with 
all  our  strength  to  climb  the  ladder  with  his  burden. 
I  was  next  to  the  last,  and  I  thought  we  should  never 
get  up.  We  heard  the  shots  already  in  the  barn,  but 
we  were  up  at  last,  and  all  inspired  with  the  same 
idea,  we  tried  to  draw  the  ladder  up  after  us.  To 
our  horror  we  found,  as  we  endeavored  to  pull  it 
through  the  opening  between  the  shots,  one  of  which 
took  off  the  head  of  a  comrade,  that  it  was  so  large 
we  could  not  get  it  into  the  loft.  We  hesitated  for  a 
moment,  when  Zebede,  recovering  himself,  exclaimed, 
"  Shoot  through  the  rounds  !"  This  seemed  to  us  an 
inspiration  from  heaven. 

Below  us  the  uproar  was  terrible.  The  whoits 
street,  as  well  as  our  barn,  was  full  of  Prussians. 

They  were  mad  with  rage,  and  worse  than  we ;  re- 
peating incessantly,  "  ~No  prisoners !" 

They  were  enraged  by  the  musket-shots  from  the 
houses;  they  broke  down  the  doors,  and  then  we 
could  hear  the  struggles,  the  falls,  curses  in  French 
and  German,  the  orders  of  Lieutenant  Bretonville 
opposite,  and  the  Prussian  officers  commanding 
their  men  to  go  and  bring  straw  to  fire  the  houses. 
Fortunately  the  harvest  was  not  yet  secured,  or  we 
should  all  have  been  burned. 

They  fired  into  the  floor  under  our  feet,  but  it  was 


WATERLOO.  251 

made  of  thick  oak  plank  and  the  balls  tapped  on  it 
like  the  strokes  of  a  hammer.  W  e  stood  one  behind 
the  other  and  continued  our  fire  into  the  street,  and 
every  shot  told. 

It  appeared  as  if  they  had  retaken  .the  church 
square,  for  we  only  heard  our  fire  very  far  away. 
We  were  alone,  two  or  three  hundred  men  in  the 
midst  of  three  or  four  thousand.  Then  I  said  to  my 
self,  "  Joseph !  you  will  never  escape  from  this 
danger.  It  is  impossible !  your  end  has  come  !"  I 
dared  not  think  of  Catherine,  my  heart  quaked. 
Our  retreat  was  cut  off,  the  Prussians  held  both  ends 
of  the  street  and  the  lanes  in  the  rear,  and  they  had 
already  retaken  several  houses. 

Suddenly  the  hubbub  ceased ;  they  were  making 
some  preparation  we  thought;  they  have  gone  for 
straw  or  fagots  or  they  are  going  to  bring  up  their 
guns  to  demolish  us. 

Our  gunners  looked  out  of  the  window,  but  they 
aw  nothing,  the  barn  was  empty.  This  dead  silence 
,vas  more  terrible  than  the  tumult  had  been  a  few 
minutes  before. 

Zebede  had  just  raised  himself  up,  and  the  blood 
*ras  running  from  his  mouth  and  nose. 

"  Attention !  we  are  going  to  have  another  attack 
The  rascals  are  getting  ready.     Charge !" 


252  WATERLOO. 

He  hardly  finished  speaking  when  the  whole  build 
ing,  from  the  gables  to  the  foundation,  swayed  as  il 
the  earth  had  opened  beneath  it,  and  beams  and  lath 
and  slate  came  down  with  the  shock,  while  a  red 
flame  burst  out  under  our  feet  and  mounted  above 
the  roof.     We  all  fell  in  a  heap. 

A  lighted  bomb  which  the  Prussians  had  rolled  into 
the  barn  had  just  exploded.  On  getting  up  I  heard 
a  whizzing  in  my  ears,  but  that  did  not  prevent  me 
from  seeing  a  ladder  placed  at  the  window  of  the  barn. 
Buche  was  using  his  bayonet  with  great  effect  on  the 
invaders. 

The  Prussians  thought  to  profit  by  our  surprise  to 
mount  the  ladder  and  butcher  us;  this  made  me 
shudder,  but  I  ran  to  the  assistance  of  my  comrade. 
Two  others  who  had  escaped,  ran  up  shouting,  "  Vive 
VHJmpereur  /" 

I  heard  nothing  more,  the  noise  was  frightful.  The 
flashes  of  the  muskets  below  and  from  the  windows 
lighted  up  the  street  like  a  moving  flame.  We  had 
thrown  down  the  ladder,  and  there  were  six  of  us 
still  remaining,  two  in  front  who  fired  the  muskets, 
and  four  liehind  who  loaded  and  passed  the  guns 
to  them. 

In  this  extremity  I  had  become  calm.  I  resigned 
myself  to  my  fate,  thinking  I  would  try  to  sell  my 


WATERLOO.  253 

own  life  as  dearly  as  possible.  The  others  no  doubt 
had  the  same  thoughts,  and  we  made  great  havoc. 

This  lasted  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  when  the 
cannon  began  to  thunder  again,  and  some  seconds 
after  our  comrades  in  front  looked  out  the  window 
and  ceased  firing.  My  cartridge-box  was  nearly 
empty,  and  I  went  to  replenish  it  from  those  of  my 
dead  comrades. 

The  cries  of  "  Vive  V Empereur"  came  nearer  and 
nearer,  when  suddenly  the  head  of  our  column  with 
its  flag  all  blackened  and  torn,  filed  into  the  little 
square  through  our  street. 

The  Prussians  beat  a  retreat.  We  all  wanted  to 
go  down,  but  two  or  three  times  the  column  recoiled 
before  the  grape  and  canister.  The  shouts  and  the 
thunder  of  the  cannon  mingled  afresh.  Zebede,  who 
was  looking  out,  ran  to  the  ladder.  Our  column  had 
passed  the  barn  and  we  all  went  down  in  file  without 
regarding  our  comrades  who  were  wounded  by  the 
bursting  of  the  bomb,  some  of  whom  begged  us  pit- 
eously  not  to  leave  them  behind. 

Such  are  men !  the  fear  of  being  taken  prisoners, 
made  us  barbarians. 

When  we  recalled  these  terrible  scenes  afterward, 
we  would  have  given  any  thing  if  we  had  had  the 
least  heart,  but  then  it  was  too  late. 


254  WATERLOO. 


XIX. 

An  hour  before,  fifteen  of  us  had  entered  that  old 
barn,  now  there  were  but  six  to  come  out. 

Buche  and  Zebede  were  among  the  living;  the 
Pfalzbourgers  had  been  fortunate. 

Once  outside  it  was  necessary  to  follow  the  attack- 
ing column. 

We  advanced  over  the  heaps  of  dead.  Our  feet 
encountered  this  yielding  mass,  but  we  did  not  look 
to  see  if  we  stepped  on  the  face  of  a  wounded  man, 
on  his  breast,  or  on  his  limbs ;  we  marched  straight 
on.  We  found  out  next  morning,  that  this  mass  of 
men  had  been  cut  down  by  the  battery  in  front  of 
the  church ;  their  obstinacy  had  proved  their  ruin. 

Blucher  was  only  waiting  to  serve  us  in  the  same 
manner,  but  instead  of  going  over  the  bridge  we 
turned  off  to  the  right  and  occupied  the  houses  along 
the  brook.    The  Prussians  fired  at  us  from  every  win- 


WATERLOO.  255 

dow  opposite,  but  as  soon  as  we  were  ambushed  we 
opened  our  fire  on  their  guns  and  they  were  obliged 
to  fall  back. 

They  had  already  begun  to  talk  of  attacking  the 
other  part  of  the  village,  when  the  rumor  was  heard 
that  a  column  of  Prussians  forty  thousand  strong  had 
come  up  behind  us  from  Charleroi.  We  could  not 
understand  it,  as  we  had  swept  every  thing  before  us 
to  the  banks  of  the  Sambre.  This  column  which  had 
fallen  on  our  reai,  must  have  been  hidden  in  the 
forest. 

It  was  about  half-past  six  and  the  combat  at  St. 
Amand  seemed  to  grow  fiercer  than  ever.  Blucher 
had  moved  his  forces  to  that  side,  and  it  was  a  favor- 
Able  moment  to  carry  the  other  part  of  the  village, 
but  this  column  forced  us  to  wait. 

The  houses  on  either  side  of  the  brook  were  filled 
with  troops,  the  French  on  the  right  and  the  Prus- 
sians on  the  left.  The  firing  had  ceased,  a  few  shots 
were  still  heard  from  time  to  time,  but  they  were  evi 
dently  by  design.  "We  looked  at  each  other  as  if  to 
say,  "  Let  us  breathe  awhile  now,  and  we  will  com- 
mence again  presently."  i 

The  Prussians  in  the  house  opposite  us,  in  their 
blue  coats  and  leather  shakos,  with  their  mustaches 
turned  up,  were  all  strongly-built  men,  old  soldiers 


256  WATERLOO. 

with  square  chins  and  their  ears  standing  out  from 
their  heads.  They  looked  as  if  they  might  overthrow 
us  at  a  blow.     The  officers,  too,  were  looking  on. 

Along  the  two  streets  which  were  parallel  with  the 
brook  and  in  the  brook  itself,  the  dead  were  lying 
in  long  rows. 

Many  of  them  were  seated  with  their  backs  against 
the  walls.  They  had  been  dangerously  wounded  in 
the  battle  but  had  had  sufficient  strength  to  retire 
from  the  strife,  and  had  sunk  down  against  the  wall 
and  died  from  loss  of  blood. 

Some  were  still  standing  upright  in  the  brook,  their 
hands  clutching  the  bank  as  if  to  climb  out,  rigid  in 
death.  And  in  obscure  corners  of  the  ruined  houses, 
when  they  were  lighted  up  with  the  sun's  rays,  we 
could  see  the  miserable  wretches  crushed  under  the 
rubbish,  with  stones  and  beams  lying  across  their 
bodies. 

The  struggle  at  St.  Amand  became  still  more  ter 
rible,  the  discharges  of  cannon  seemed  to  rise  one 
above  the  other,  and  if  we  had  not  all  been  looking 
death  in  the  face,  nothing  could  have  prevented  us 
from  admiring  this  grand  music. 

At  every  discharge  hundreds  of  men  perished,  but 
there  was  no  interruption,  the  solid  earth  trembled 
under  our  feet.     We  could  breathe  again  now,  and 


WATERLOO.  257 

very  soon  we  began  to  feel  a  most  intolerable  thirst. 
During  the  fight  nobody  had  thought  of  it,  but  now 
everybody  wanted  to  drink. 

Our  house  formed  the  corner  at  the  left  of  the 
bridge,  but  the  little  water  that  was  running  over  the 
muddy  bottom  of  the  brook  was  red  with  blood. 
Between  our  house  and  the  next  there  was  a  little 
garden,  where  there  was  a  well  from  which  to 
water  it.  We  all  looked  at  this  well  with  its  curb 
and  its  wooden  posts ;  the  bucket  was  still  hanging 
to  the  chain  in  spite  of  the  showers  of  shot  but  three 
men  were  already  lying  face  downward  in  the  path 
leading  to  it.  The  Prussians  had  shot  them  as  they 
were  trying  to  reach  it. 

As  we  stood  there  with  our  loaded  muskets,  one 
said,  "  I  would  give  half  my  blood  for  one  glass  of 
that  water ;"  another, "  Yes,  but  the  Prussians  are  on 
the  watch." 

This  was  true,  there  they  were,  a  hundred  paces 
from  us,  perhaps  they  were  as  thirsty  as  we,  and 
were  guessing  our  thoughts. 

The  shots  that  were  still  fired  came  from  these 
houses,  and  no  one  could  go  along  the  street,  they 
would  shoot  him  at  once,  so  we  were  all  suffering 
horribly. 

This  lasted  for  another  half  hour,  when  the  can- 


958  WATERLOO. 

Aionade  extended  from  St.  Amand  to  Ligny,  and  w  € 
could  see  that  our  batteries  had  opened  with  grape 
and  canister  on  the  Prussians  by  the  great  gap  is 
made  in  their  columns  at  every  discharge. 

This  new  attack  produced  a  great  excitement. 
Buche,  who  had  not  stirred  till  that  moment,  ran 
down  through  the 'path  leading  to  the  well  in  the 
garden  and  sheltered  himself  behind  the  curb.  From 
the  two  houses  opposite  a  volley  was  fired,  and  the 
stones  and  the  posts  were  soon  riddled  with  balls. 

But  we  opened  our  fire  on  their  windows  and  in  an 
instant  it  began  again  from  one  end  of  the  village 
to  the  other,  and  every  thing  was  enveloped  in 
smoke. 

*At  that  moment  I  heard  some  one  shout  from  be- 
low, "  Joseph,  Joseph !" 

It  was  Buche  ;  he  had  had  the  courage  after  he  had 
drank  himself,  to  fill  the  bucket,  unfasten  it,  and 
bring  it  back  with  him. 

Several  old  soldiers  wanted  to  take  it  from  him, 
but  he  shouted,  "  My  comrade  first !  let  go,  or  I'll 
pour  it  all  out !" 

They  were  compelled  to  wait  till  I  had  drank,  then 
they  took  their  turn,  and  afterward  the  others  wh€ 
were  up-stairs  drained  the  rest. 

We  all  went  up  together  greatly  refreshed 


WATERLOO.  259 

It  was  about  seven  o'clock  and  near  sunset,  the 
shadows  of  the  houses  on  our  side  reached  quite  to 
the  brook — while  those  occupied  by  the  Prussians 
were  still  in  the  sunlight,  as  well  as  the  hill-side  of 
Bry,  down  which  we  could  see  the  fresh  troops  com- 
ing on  the  run.  The  cannonade  had  never  been  so 
fierce  as  at  this  moment  from  our  side. 

Every  one  now  knows,  that  at  night-fall  between 
seven  and  eight  o'clock  the  Emperor,  having  dis- 
covered that  the  column  which  had  been  signaled  in 
our  rear  was  the  corps  of  General  d'Erlon,  which  had 
missed  its  route  between  the  battle  of  ISTey  with  the 
English  at  Quatre-Bras  and  ours  here  at  Ligny,  had 
ordered  the  Old  Guard  to  support  us  at  once. 

The  lieutenant  who  was  with  us  said,  "  This  is  the 
grand  attack.     Attention !" 

The  whole  of  the  Prussian  cavalry  was  swarming 
between  the  two  villages.  We  felt  that  there  was  a 
grand  movement  behind  us,  though  we  did  not  see  it. 
The  lieutenant  repeated,  "  Attention  to  orders ! 
Let  no  one  stay  behind  after  the  order  to  march! 
Here  is  the  attack  !" 

We  all  opened  our  eyes.  The  farther  the  night 
advanced  the  redder  the  sky  grew  over  St.  Amand. 
We  were  so  absorbed  in  listening  to  the  cannonade 
that  we  no  longer  thought  of  any  thing  else.     At 


260  WATERLOO 

each  discharge    you   would  have  said   the  heavens 
were  on  fire.     The  tumult  behind  us  was  increasing 

Suddenly  the  broad  street  running  along  the  broo 
was  full  of  troops,  from  the  bridge  quite  to  the  end 
of  Ligny.  On  the  left  in  the  distance  the  Prussians 
were  shooting  from  the  windows  again,  while  we 
did  not  reply.  The  shout  rose— "  The  Guard  !  the 
Guard ! "  I  do  not  know  how  that  mass  of  men  passed 
the  muddy  ditch,  probably  by  means  of  plank  thrown 
across,  but  in  a  moment  they  were  on  the  left  bank 
in  force. 

The  batteries  of  the  Prussians  at  the  top  of  the 
ravine  between  the  two  villages,  cut  gaps  through 
our  columns,  but  they  closed  up  immediately,  and 
moved  steadily  up  the  hill.  What  remained  of  our 
division  ran  across  the  bridge,  followed  by  the  ar- 
tillery-men and  their  pieces  with  the  horses  at  a 
gallop. 

Then  we  went  down  to  the  street,  but  we  had  not 
reached  the  bridge  when  the  cuirassiers  began  to  file 
over  it,  followed  by  the  dragoons  and  the  mounted 
grenadiers  of  the  guard.  They  were  passing  every- 
where, across  and  around  the  village.  It  was  like 
a  new  and  innumerable  army. 

The  slaughter  began  again  on  the  hill,  this  time 
the  battle  was  in  the  open  fields,  and  we  could  trac« 


WATERLOO.  261 

the  outlines  of  the  Prussian  squares  on  the  hill-side 
at  every  discharge  of  musketry. 

We  rushed  on  over  the  dead  and  wounded,  and 
when  we  were  clear  of  the  village  we  could  see  that 
there  was  an  engagement  between  the  cavalry, 
though  we  could  only  distinguish  the  white  cuirasses 
as  they  pierced  the  lines  of  the  Uhlans ;  then  they 
would  be  indiscriminately  mingled  and  the  cuiras- 
siers would  re-form  and  set  off  again  like  a  solid 
wall. 

It  was  dark  already,  and  the  dense  masses  of  smoke 
made  it  impossible  to  see  fifty  paces  ahead.  Every 
thing  was  moving  toward  the  windmills,  the  clatter 
of  the  cavalry,  the  shouts,  the  orders  of  the  officers 
and  the  file-firing  in  the  distance,  all  were  confound- 
ed. Several  of  the  squares  were  broken.  From  time 
to  time  a  flash  would  reveal  a  lancer  bent  to  his 
horse's  neck,  or  a  cuirassier,  with  his  broad  white 
back  and  his  helmet  with  its  floating  plume,  shooting 
off  like  a  bullet,  two  or  three  foot  soldiers  running 
about  in  the  midst  of  the  fray, — all  would  come  and 
go  like  lightning.  The  trampled  grain,  the  rain 
streaking  the  heavens,  the  wounded  under  the  feet 
of  the  horses,  all  came  out  of  the  black  night — 
through  the  storm  which  had  just  broken  out — for  a 
quarter  of  a  second. 


262  WATERLOO. 

Every  flash  of  musket  or  pistol  showed  us  in 
explicable  things  by  thousands.  But  every  thing 
moved  up  the  hill  and  away  from  Ligny ;  we  were 
masters. 

We  had  pierced  the  enemy's  center,  the  Prussians 
no  longer  made  any  defense,  except  at  the  top  of  the 
hill  near  the  mills  and  in  the  direction  of  Sombref, 
at  our  right.  St.  Amand  and  Ligny  were  both  in 
our  hands. 

As  for  us,  a  dozen  or  so  of  our  company  there  alone 
among  the  ruins  of  the  cottages,  with  our  cartridge- 
boxes  almost  empty ; — we  did  not  know  which  way  to 
turn. 

Zebede,  Lieutenant  Bretonville,  and  Captain 
Florentin  had  disappeared,  and  Sergeant  Kabot  was 
in  command.  He  was  a  little  old  fellow,  thin  and 
deformed,  but  as  tough  as  steel;  he  squinted  and 
seemed  to  have  had  red  hair  when  young.  Now,  as 
I  speak  of  him,  I  seem  to  hear  him  say  quietly  to 
us,  "  The  battle  is  won  !  by  file  right !  forward, 
march !" 

Several  wanted  to  stop  and  make  some  soup,  for 
we  had  eaten  nothing  since  noon  and  began  to  be 
hungry.     The  sergeant  marched  down  the  lane  with 
his  musket  on  his  shoulder,  laughing  quietly,  and  say 
ing  in  an  ironical  tone : 


WATERLOO.  263 

"  Oh  !  soup,  soup  !  wait  a  little,  the  commissary  ie 
coming !" 

We  followed  him  down  the  dark  lane ;  about  mid- 
way we  saw  a  cuirassier  on  horseback  with  his  back 
toward  us.  He  had  a  saber  cut  in  the  abdomen  and 
had  retired  into  this  lane,  the  horse  leaned  against 
the  wall  to  prevent  him  from  falling  off. 

As  we  filed  past  he  called  put,  "  Comrades !"  But 
nobody  even  turned  his  head. 

Twenty  paces  farther  on  we  found  the  ruins  of  a 
cottage  completely  riddled  with  balls,  but  half  the 
thatched  roof  was  still  there,  and  this  was  why  Ser- 
geant  Rabot  had  selected  it ;  and  we  filed  into  it  for 
shelter. 

We  could  see  no  more  than  if  we  had  been  in 
an  oven ;  the  sergeant  exploded  the  priming  of  his 
musket,  and  we  saw  that  it  was  the  kitchen,  that  the 
fire-place  was  at  the  right,  and  the  stair-way  on  the 
left.  Five  or  six  Prussians  and  Frenchmen  were 
stretched  on  the  floor,  white  as  wax,  and  with  their 
eyes  wide  open. 

"  Here  is  the  mess-room,"  said  the  sergeant,  "  let 
every  one  make  himself  comfortable.  Our  bedfellows 
will  not  kick  us." 

As  we  saw  plainly  that  there  were  to  be  no  ra- 
tions, each  one  took  off  his  knapsack  and  placed  il 


264  WATERLOO. 

by  the  wall  on  the  floor  for  a  pillow.  We  could 
still  hear  the  firing,  but  it  was  far  in  the  distance 
on  the  *iill. 

The  rain  fell  in  torrents.  The  sergeant  shut  th 
door,  which  creaked  on  its  hinges,  and  then  quietly 
lighted  his  pipe.  Some  of  the  men  were  already 
snoring  when  I  looked  up,  and  he  was  standing  at 
the  little  window,  in  which  not  a  pane  of  glass  re- 
mained, smoking. 

He  was  a  firm,  just  man,  he  could  read  and  write, 
had  been  wounded  and  had  his  three  chevrons,  and 
ought  to  have  been  an  officer,  only  he  was  not  well 
formed. 

He  soon  laid  his  head  on  his  knapsack,  and  shortly 
after  all  were  asleep.  It  was  long  after  this  when  I 
was  suddenly  awakened  by  footsteps  and  fumbling 
about  the  house  outside. 

I  raised  up  on  my  elbow  to  listen,  when  somebody 
tried  to  open  the  door.  I  could  not  help  screaming 
out.  "  What's  the  matter  ?"  said  the  sergeant.  We 
could  hear  them  running  away,  and  Rabot  turned  on 
his  knapsack  saying : 

"  ISTight  birds, — rascals, — clear  out,  or  I'll  send  a 
ball  after  you  I"  He  said  no  more  and  I  got  up  and 
looked  out  of  the  window,  and  saw  the  wretches  in 
the  act  of  robbing  the  dead   and  wounded     They 


WATERLOO.  265 

were  going  softly  from  one  to  another,  while  the  rain 
was  falling  in  torrents.     It  was  something  horrible. 

I  lay  down  again  and  fell  asleep  overcome  by 
fatigue. 

At  day-break  the  sergeant  was  up  and  crying. 
"  En  route  !" 

We  left  the  cottage  and  went  back  through  the 
lane.  The  cuirassier  was  on  the  ground,  but  his  horse 
still  stood  beside  him.  The  sergeant  took  him  by  the 
bridle  and  led  him  out  into  the  orchard,  palled  the 
bits  from  his  mouth  and  said  : 

"  Go,  and  eat,  they  will  find  you  again  by  and  by." 

And  the  poor  beast  walked  quietly  away.  We 
hurried  along  the  path  which  runs  by  Ligny.  The 
furrows  stopped  here  and  some  plats  of  garden  ground 
lay  along  by  the  road.  The  sergeant  looked  about  him 
as  he  went,  and  stooped  down  to  dig  up  some  carrots 
and  turnips  which  were  left.  I  quickly  followed  his 
example,  while  our  comrades  hastened  on  without 
looking  round. 

I  saw  that  it  was  a  good  thing  to  know  the  fruits 
of  the  earth.  I  found  two  beautiful  turnips  and 
some  carrots,  which  are  very  good  raw,  but  I  fol- 
lowed the  example  of  the  sergeant  and  put  them  in 
my  shako. 

I  ran  on  to  overtake  the  squad,  which  was  direct 

12 


266  WATERLOO. 

ing  its  steps  toward  the  fires  at  Sombref.  As  for  the 
rest,  I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  to  you  the  appear- 
ance of  the  plateau  in  the  rear  of  Ligny  where  our 
cuirassiers  and  dragoons  had  slaughtered  all  before 
them.  The  men  and  horses  were  lying  in  heaps. 
The  horses  with  their  Ions:  necks  stretched  out  on 
the  ground  and  the  dead  and  wounded  lying  under 
them. 

Sometimes  the  wounded  men  would  raise  their 
hands  to  make  signs  when  the  horses  would  attempt 
to  get  up  and  fall  back,  crushing  them  still  more 
fearfully. 

Blood!  blood  !  everywhere.  The  directions  of  the 
the  balls  and  shot  was  marked  on  the  slope  by  the 
red  lines,  just  as  we  see  in  our  country  the  lines  in 
the  sand  formed  by  the  water  from  the  melting 
snow.  But  will  you  believe  it?  These  horrors 
scarcely  made  any  impression  upon  me.  Before  I 
went  to  Lutzen  such  a  sisrht  would  have  knocked 
me  down.  I  should  have  thought  then,  "Do  our 
masters  look  upon  us  as  brutes  ?  Will  the  good 
God  give  us  up  to  be  eaten  by  wolves.  Have 
we  mothers  and  sisters  and  friends,  beings  who  are 
dear  to  us,  and  will  they  not  cry  out  for  vengeance.'' 

I  should  have  thought  of  a  thousand  other  things, 
but  now  I  did  not  think  at  all.     From  having  seen 


WATERLOO.  267 

such  a  mass  of  slaughter  and  wrong  every  day  and 
in  every  fashion,  I  began  to  say  to  myself: 

"  The  strongest  are  always  right.  The  Ernpero? 
is  the  strongest,  and  he  has  called  us,  and  we  must 
come  m  spite  of  every  thing,  from  Pfalzbourg,  from 
Saverne,  or  other  cities,  and  take  our  places  in  the 
ranks  and  march.  The  one  who  would  show  the 
least  sign  of  resistance  ought  to  be  shot  at  once. 
The  marshals,  the  generals,  the  officers,  down  to  the 
last  man,  follow  their  instructions,  they  dare  not  make 
a  move  without  orders,  and  everybody  obeys  the 
army.  It  is  the  Emperor  who  wills,  who  has  the  pow- 
er and  who  does  every  thing.  And  would  not  Joseph 
Bertha  be  a  fool  to  believe  that  the  Emperor  ever 
committed  a  single  fault  in  his  life  ?  Would  it  nol 
be  contrary  to  reason  ?" 

That  was  what  we  all  thought,  and  if  the  Emperor 
had  remained  here,  all  France  would  have  had  the 
same  opinion. 

My  only  satisfaction  was  in  thinking  that  I  had 
Rome  carrots  and  turnips,  for  in  passing  in  the  rear 
of  the  pickets  to  find  our  place  in  the  battalion,  we 
learned  that  no  rations  had  been  distributed  except 
brandy  and  cartridges. 

The  veterans  were  filling  their  kettles;  but  the 
conscripts,  who  had  not  yet  learned  the  art  of  living 


268  WATERLOO. 

while  on  a  campaign,  and  who  had  unfortunately 
already  eaten  all  their  bread,  as  will  happen  when 
one  is  twenty  years  old,  and  is  on  the  march  with  a 
good  appetite,  they  had  not  a  spoonful  of  any  thing. 

At  last  about  seven  o'clock  we  reached  the  camp. 
Zebede  came  to  meet  me  and  was  delighted  to  see 
me,  and  said,  "  What  have  you  brought,  Joseph  ? 
We  have  found  a  fat 'kid  and  we  have  some  salt,  but 
not  a  mouthful  of  bread." 

I  showed  him  the  rice  which  I  had  left,  and  my 
turnips  and  carrots. 

"  That's  good,"  said  he,  "  we  shall  have  the  best 
soup  in  ihe  battallion." 

I  wanted  Buche  to  eat  with  us  too,  and  the  six 
men  belonging  to  our  mess,  who  had  all  escaped  with 
only  bruises  and  scratches,  consented.  Padoue,  the 
drum-major,  said,  laughing,  "Veterans  are  always 
veterans,  they  never  come  empty-handed." 

We  looked  into  the  kettles  of  the  five  conscripts, 
and  winked,  for  they  had  nothing  but  rice  and  water 
m  them,  while  we  had  a  good  rich  soup,  the  odor  of 
which  filled  the  air  around  us. 

At  eight  we  took  our  breakfast  with  an  appetite,  as 
you  can  imagine. 

Not  even  on  my  wedding-day  did  I  eat  a  bettei 
meal,  and  it  is  a  pleasure  even  now  to  think  of  it 


WATERLOO.  269 

When  we  are  old  we  are  not  so  enthusiastic  about 
such  things  as  when  we  are  young,  but  still  we  always 
recall  them  with  satisfaction. 

This  breakfast  sustained  us  a  long  time,  but  the 
poor  conscripts  with  only  a  few  crumbs  as  it  were 
soaked  in  rain  water,  had  a  hard  time  next  day — the 
18th.  We  were  to  have  a  short  but  terrible  cam- 
paign. Though  all  is  over  now,  yet  I  can  not  think 
of  those  terrible  sufferings  without  emotion,  or  with- 
out thanking  God  that  we  escaped  them.  The  sun 
shone  again  and  the  weather  was  fine, — we  had  hard- 
ly finished  our  breakfast  when  the  drums  began  to 
beat  the  assembly  along  the  whole  line. 

The  Prussian  rear-guard  had  just  left  Sombref,  and 
it  was  a  question  whether  we  should  pursue  them. 
Some  said  we  ought  to  send  out  the  light-horse,  to 
pick  up  the  prisoners.  But  no  one  paid  any  atten- 
tion to  them, — the  Emperor  knew  what  he  was  do* 
ins?. 

But  I  remember  that  everybody  was  astonished 
notwithstanding,  because  it  is  the  custom  to  profit  by 
victories.  The  veterans  had  never  seen  any  thing 
like  it.  They  thought  that  the  Emperor  was  prepar- 
ing some  grand  stroke;  that  Ney  had  turned  ""he 
enemy's  line,  and  so  forth. 

Meanwhile  the  roll  commenced  and  General  Gerard 


270  WATERLOO. 

reviewed  the  Fourth  corps.  Our  battalion  had  suffered 
most,  because  in  the  three  attacks  we  had  always 
been  in  the  front. 

The  Commandant  Gemeau  and  Captain  Vidal  were 
wounded,  and  Captains  Gregoire  and  Vignot  killed> 
seven  lieutenants  and  second  lieutenants,  and  three 
hundred  and  sixty  men  hors  de  combat. 

Zebede  said  that  it  was  worse  than  at  Montmirail, 
and  that  they  would  finish  us  up  completely  before 
we  got  through. 

Fortunately  the  fourth  battalion  arrived  from  Metz 
under  Commandant  Delong  and  took  our  place  in 
the  line. 

Captain  Florentin  ordered  us  to  file  off  to  the  left, 
and  we  went  back  to  the  village  near  the  church, 
where  a  quantity  of  carts  were  stationed. 

We  were  then  distributed  in  squads  to  superintend 
the  removal  of  the  wounded.  Several  detachments 
of  chasseurs  were  ordered  to  escort  the  convoys  to 
Fleurus  as  there  was  no  room  for  them  at  Ligny  ;  the 
church  was  already  filled  with  the  poor  fellows.  We 
did  not  select  those  to  be  removed,  the  surgeons  did 
that,  as  we  could  hardly  distinguish  in  numbers  of 
cases,  between  the  living  and  the  dead.  We  only 
laid  them  on  the  straw  in  the  carts. 

I  knew  how  all  this  was,  for  I  was  at  Lutzen}  and 


WATERLOO.  271 

1  understand  what  a  man  suffers  in  recovering  from 
a  ball,  or  a  musket-shot,  or  such  a  cut  as  our  cuiras- 
siers made. 

Every  time  I  saw  one  of  these  men  taken  up,  I 
thanked  God  that  I  was  not  reduced  to  that  condi- 
tion, and,  thinking  that  the  same  thing  might  befall 
me,  I  said  to  myself:  "You  do  not  know  how  many 
balls  and  slugs  have  been  near  you,  or  you  would  be 
horrified."  I  was  astonished  that  so  many  of  us  had 
escaped  in  the  carnage,  which  had  been  far  greatei 
than  at  Lutzen  or  even  at  Leipzig.  The  battle  had 
only  lasted  five  hours,  and  the  dead  in  many  places 
were  piled  two  or  three  feet  deep.  The  blood  flowed 
from  under  them  in  streams.  Through  the  principal 
street  where  the  artillery  went,  the  mud  was  red  with 
blood,  and  the  mud  itself  was  crushed  flesh  and 
bones. 

It  is  necessary  to  tell  you  this,  in  order  that  the 
young  men  may  understand.  I  shall  fight  no  more, 
thank  God,  I  am  too  old,  but  all  these  young  men  who 
think  of  nothing  but  war,  instead  of  being  industri- 
ous and  helping  their  aged  parents,  should  know  how 
the  soldiers  are  treated.  Let  them  imagine  what  the 
poor  fellows  who  have  done  their  duty  think,  as  they 
lie  in  the  street,  wanting  an  arm  or  a  leg,  and  hear 
the    cannon,    weighing  twelve    or    fifteen  thousand 


272  WATERLOO. 

pounds,  coming  with  their  big  well- shod  horses^ 
plunging  and  neighing. 

Then  it  is  that  they  will  recall  their  old  parents 
who  embraced  them  in  their  own  village,  while  they 
went  off  saying : 

"  I  am  going,  but  I  shall  return  with  the  cross  of 
honor,  and  with  my  epaulettes." 

Yes,  indeed !  if  they  could  weep  and  ask  God's 
pardon,  we  should  hear  their  cries  and  complaints, 
but  there  is  no  time  for  that ;  the  cannon  and  the 
caissons  with  their  freight  of  bombs  and  bullets  arrive, 
and  they  can  hear  their  own  bones  crack  beforehand 
— and  all  pass  right  over  their  bodies,  just  as  they  do 
through  the  mud. 

When  we  are  old,  and  think  that  such  horrible 
things  may  happen  to  the  children  we  love,  we  feel 
as  if  we  would  part  with  the  last  sou  before  we  would 
allow  them  to  go. 

But  all  this  does  no  good,  bad  men  can  not  be 
changed,  while  good  ones  must  do  their  duty,  and  if 
misfortune  comes,  their  confidence  in  the  justice  of  God 
remains.  Such  men  do  not  destroy  their  fellows  from 
the  love  of  glory,  they  are  forced  to  do  so,  they  have 
nothing  with  which  to  reproach  themselves,  they  de- 
fend their  own  lives  and  the  blood  which  is  shed  is 
not  on  their  hands. 


WATERLOO.  273 

Bat  I  must  finish  my  story  of  the  battle  and  the 
removal  of  the  wounded. 

I  saw  sights  there  which  are  incredible;  men 
killed  in  a  moment  of  fury,  whose  faces  had  not 
_ost  their  horrible  expression,  still  held  their  must 
kets  in  their  hands  and  stood  upright  against  the 
walls,  and  you  could  almost  hear  them  cry,  as  they 
tared  with  glazed  eyes,  "  To  the  bayonet !  No 
quarter !" 

It  was  with  this  thought  and  this  cry  that  they 
appeared  before  God.  He  was  awaiting  them,  and 
He  may  have  said  to  them,  "  Here  am  I.  Thou  kill- 
est  thy  brethren — thou  givest  no  quarter?  None 
shall  be  given  thee !" 

I  have  seen  others  mortally  wounded  strangling 

each  other.     At  Fleurus  we  were  obliged  to  separate 

the  French  and  the  Prussians,  because  they  would 

rise  from  their  beds,  or  their  bundles  of  straw,  to  tear 

each  other  to  pieces.     Ah  !  war !   those  who  wish  for 

it,  an  d  those  who  make  men  like  ferocious  beasts, 

will  have  a  terrible  account  to  settle  above. 
*12 


274  WATERLOO. 


XX. 

The  removal  of  the  wounded  continued  until  night 
About  noon  shouts  of  Vive  V Empereur  extended 
alon£  the  whole  line  of  our  bivouac  from  the  village 
of  Bry  to  Sombref.  Napoleon  had  left  Fleurus  with 
his  staff  and  had  passed  in  review  the  whole  army 
on  the  plateau.  These  shouts  continued  for  an  hour, 
and  then  all  was  quiet  and  the  army  took  up  its 
march. 

We  waited  a  long  time  for  the  orders  to  follow 
but  as  they  did  not  come,  Captain  Florentin  went  to 
see  what  was  the  matter,  and  came  back  at  full  speed 
shouting,  "  Beat  the  assembly !"  The  detachments 
cf  the  battalion  joined  each  other  and  we  passed 
through  the  village  at  a  quick  step. 

All  had  left,  many  other  squads  had  received  no 
orders,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Amand  the  streets 
were  full  of  soldiers. 


WATERLOO.  275 

Several  companies  remained  behind,  and  reached 

the  road  by  crossing  the  fields  on  the  left,  where  we 

:ould  see  the  rear  of  the  column  as  far  as  the  eye 

could    reach — caissons,    wagons,   and    baggage    of 

every  sort. 

I  have  often  thought  that  we  might  have  been  left 
behind,  as  Gerard's  division  was  at  St.  Amand,  and 
nobody  could  have  blamed  us,  as  we  followed  our 
orders  to  pick  up  the  wounded,  but  Captain  Floren- 
tin  would  have  thought  himself  dishonored. 

We  hurried  forward  as  fast  as  possible.  It  had 
commenced  to  rain  again  and  we  slipped  in  the  mud 
and  darkness.  I  never  saw  worse  weather,  not  even 
at  the  retreat  from  Leipzig  when  we  were  in  Ger- 
many. The  rain  came  down  as  if  from  a  watering 
pot,  and  we  tramped  on  with  our  guns  under  our 
arms  with  the  cape  of  our  cloaks  over  the  locks,  so 
wet  that  if  we  had  been  through  a  river  it  could  not 
have  been  worse  ;  and  such  mud !  With  all  this  we 
began  to  feel  the  want  of  food.     Buche  kept  saying 

"  Well !  a  dozen  big  potatoes  roasted  in  the  ashes 
as  we  do  at  Harberg  would  rejoice  my  eyes.  We 
don't  eat  meat  every  day  at  home,  but  we  always 
have  potatoes." 

I  thought  of  our  warm  little  room  at  'Pfalzbourg, 
the  table  with  its  white  cloth,  Father  Goulden  with 


2TG  WATERLOO. 

nis  plate  before  him,  while  Catherine  served  the  rich 
hot  soup  and  the  smoked  cutlets  on  the  gridiron. 
My  present  sufferings  and  troubles  overwhelmed  me, 
and  if  wishing  for  death  only  had  been  necessary  to 
rid  me  of  them,  I  should  have  long  ago  been  out  of 
this  world. 

The  night  was  dark,  and  if  it  had  not  been  for  the 
ruts,  into  which  we  plunged  to  our  knees  at  every 
step,  we  should  have  found  it  difficult  to  keep  the 
road ;  as  it  was,  we  had  only  to  march  in  the  mud  to 
be  sure  we  were  right. 

Between  seven  and  eischt  o'clock  we  heard  in  the 
distance  something  like  thunder.  Some  said :  "  It 
is  a  thunderstorm !  "  others,    "  It  is  cannon  !" 

Great  numbers  of  disbanded  soldiers  were  follow- 
ing us. 

At  eight  o'clock  we  reached  Quatre-Bras.  These 
are  two  houses  opposite  each  other  at  the  intersection 
of  the  road  from  Nivelles  to  ISTamur  with  that  from 
Brussels  to  Charleroi.  They  were  both  full  of 
wounded  men.  It  was  here  that  Marshal  !N"ey  had 
given  battle  to  the  English,  to  prevent  them  from 
going  to  the  support  of  the  Prussians  along  the  road 
by  which  we  had  just  come.  He  had  but  twenty 
thousand  men  against  forty  thousand,  and  yet  Nicho- 
las Cloutier,  the  tanner,  maintains  to-day  even,  that 


WATERLOO.  277 

he  ought  to  have  sent  half  his  troops  to  attack  the 
Prussian  rear,  as  if  it  were  not  enough  to  stop  the 
English. 

To  such  people  every  thing  is  easy,  but  if  they  were 
in  command,  it  would  be  easy  to  rout  them  with  four 
men  and  a  corporal. 

Below  us  the  barley  and  oat  fields  were  full  of 
dead  men.     It  was  then  that  I  saw  the  first  red-coats 
stretched  out  in  the  road. 

The  captain  ordered  us  to  halt,  and  he  went  into 
the  house  at  the  right.  We  waited  for  some  time  in 
the  rain,  when  he  came  out  with  Dauzelot,  general  of 
the  division,  who  was  laughing,  because  we  had  not 
followed  Grouchv  toward  Xamur ;  the  want  of 
orders  had  compelled  us  to  turn  off  to  Quatre-Bras. 
Notwithstanding,  we  received  orders  to  continue  our 
march  without  stopping. 

I  thought  I  should  drop  every  moment  from  weak- 
ness, but  it  was  worse  still  when  we  overtook  the 
baggage,  for  then  we  were  obliged  to  march  on  the 
sides  of  the  road,  and  the  farther  from  it  we  went  the 
more  deeply  we  sank  in  the  soft  soil. 

About  eleven  o'clock  we  reached  a  large  village 
called  Genappe,  which  lies  on  both  sides  of  the 
route. 

The  crowd  of  wagons,  cannon,  and  baggage  was 


278  WATERLOO. 

so  great  that  we  were  forced  to  turn  to  the  right  and 
cross  the  Thy  by  a  bridge,  and  from  this  point  we 
continued  to  march  through  the  fields  of  grain  and 
hemp,  like  savages  who  respect  nothing.  The  night 
was  so  dark  that  the  mounted  dragoons,  who  were 
placed  at  intervals  of  two  hundred  paces  like  guide- 
posts,  kept  shouting,  "  This  way,  this  way  !" 

About  midnight  we  reached  a  sort  of  farm-t  juse 
thatched  with  straw,  which  was  filled  with  sujeuor 
oificers.  It  was  not  far  from  the  main  road,  ^s  we 
could  hear  the  cavalry  and  artillery  and  baggage 
wagons  rushing  by  like  a  torrent. 

The  captain  had  hardly  got  into  the  houst,  when 
we  jumped  over  the  hedge  into  the  garden.  I  did  li  ke 
the  rest,  and  snatched  what  I  could.  Nearly  the 
whole  battalion  followed  this  example  in  spite  of  the 
shouts  of  the  officers,  and  each  one  began  digging  up 
what  he  could  find  with  his  bayonet.  In  two  minutes 
there  was  nothing  left.  The  sergeants  and  corpo- 
rals were  with  us,  but  when  the  captain  returned  we 
had  all  regained  our  ranks. 

Those  who  pillage  and  steal  on  a  campaign  ought 
tu  be  shot ;  but  what  could  you  do  ?  There  was  not 
a  quarter  enough  food  in  the  towns  through  which 
we  passed  to  supply  such  numbers.  The  English 
had  already  taken  nearly  every  thing.     We  had  ^ 


WATERLOO.  279 

little  rice    left,  but  rice  without   meat  is  not    very 
strengthening. 

The  English  troops  received  sheep  and  beeves  from 
Brussels,  they  were  well  fed  and  glowing  with  health. 
We  had  come  too  late,  the  convoys  of  supplies  were 
belated,  and  the  next  day  when  the  terrible  battle  of 
Waterloo  was  fought  the  only  ration  we  received 
was  brandy. 

We  left  the  village,  and  on  mounting  a  little  eleva- 
tion we  perceived  the  English  pickets  through  the  rain. 
We  were  ordered  to  take  a  position  in  the  grain  fields 
with  several  regiments  which  we  could  not  see,  and 
not  to  light  our  fires  for  fear  of  alarming  the  English, 
if  they  should  discover  us  in  line,  and  so  induce  them 
to  continue  their  retreat. 

Now  just  imagine  us  lying  in  the  grain  under  a 
pouring  rain  like  regular  gypsies,  shivering  with  cold 
and  bent  on  destroying  our  fellows,  and  happy  in 
having  a  turnip  or  a  radish  to  keep  up  our  strength 
and  tell  me  if  that  is  the  kind  of  life  for  honest 
people.  Is  it  for  that,  that  God  has  created  us  and 
put  us  in  the  world  ?  Is  it  not  abominable  that  a 
king  or  an  emperor,  instead  of  watching  over  the  af 
fairs  of  the  state,  encouraging  commerce,  and  in- 
structing the  people  in  the  principles  of  liberty  and 
giving  good  examples,  fhould  reduce  us  to  such  a  con 


280  WATERLOO. 

dition  as  that  by  hundreds  of  thousands.     I  know 
very  well  that  this  is  called  glory,  but  the  people  are 
very  stupid  to  glorify  such  men  as  those.     Yes,  in 
deed,  they  must  have  first  lost  all  sense  of  right,  all  < 
heart,  and  all  religion ! 

But  all  this  did  not  prevent  my  teeth  from  chatter 
ing,  or  from  seeing  the  English  in  our  front  warm- 
ing and  enjoying  themselves  around  their  good  fires, 
after  receiving  their  rations  of  beef,  brandy,  and 
tobacco.  And  I  thought,  "  It  is  we  poor  devils, 
drenched  to  our  very  marrow,  who  are  to  be  com- 
pelled to  attack  these  fellows  who  are  full  of  confi- 
dence, and  want  neither  cannon  nor  supplies,  who 
sleep  with  their  feet  to  the  fire,  with  their  stomachs 
well  lined,  while  we  must  lie  here  in  the  n  ud.'*  I 
was  indignant  the  whole  night.     Buche  would  say : 

"I  do  not  care  for  the  rain,  I  have  been  through 
many  a  worse  one  when  on  the  watch  ;  but  then  I 
had  at  least  a  crust  of  bread  and  some  onions  and 
salt." 

I  was  quite  absorbed  with  my  own  troubles  and 
said  nothing,  but  he  was  angry. 

The  rain  ceased  between  two  and  three  in  the 
morning.  Buche  and  I  were  lying  back  to  back  in  a 
furrow,  in  order  to  keep  warm,  and  at  last  overcome 
by  fatigue  I  fell  asleep. 


WATERLOO.  281 

WTienlwoke  about  five  in  the  morning,  the  church 
bells  were  ringing  matins  over  all  that  vast  plain. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  scene ;  and  as  I  looked 
at  the  gray  sky,  the  trampled  grain,  and  my  sleeping 
comrades  on  the  right  and  left,  my  heart  sunk  under 
the  sense  of  desolation.  The  sound  of  the  bells  as 
they  responded  to  each  other  from  Planchenois  U 
Genappe,  from  Frichemont  to  Waterloo,  reminded 
me  of  Pfalzbourg,  and  I  thought : 

"  To-day  is  Sunday,  the  day  of  rest  and  peace. 
Mr.  Goulden  has  hung  his  best  coat,  with  a  white 
shirt,  on  the  back  of  his  chair.  He  is  getting  up  now 
and  he  is  thinking  of  me ;  Catherine  has  risen  too 
and  is  sitting  crying  on  the  bed,  and  Aunt  Gredel  at 
Quatre  Yents  is  pushing  open  the  shutters  and  she 
has  taken  her  prayer-book  from  the  shelf  and  is  go- 
ing to  mass."  I  could  hear  the  bells  of  Dann  and 
Mittelbronn  and  Bigelberg  ring  out  in  the  silence. 
I  thought  of  that  peaceful  quiet  life  and  was  ready 
to  burst  into  tears. 

The  roll  of  the  drums  was  heard  through  the  damp 
air,  and  there  was  something  inauspicious  and  por- 
tentous in  the  sound. 

Near  the  main  road,  on  the  left,  they  were  beating 
the  assembly,  and  the  bugles  of  the  cavalry  sounded 
the  reveille.      The  men   rose   and  looked  over  the 


282  WATERLOO. 

grain.  Those  three  days  of  marching  and  fighting 
in  the  bad  weather  without  rations  made  them 
sober;  there  was  no  talking  as  at  Ligny,  every  oie 
looked  in  silence  and  kept  his  thoughts  to  himself. 

We  could  see  too,  that  the  battle  was  to  be  a  much 
more  important  affair,  for  instead  of  having  villages 
already  occupied,  which  caused  so  many  separate 
battles,  on  our  front,  there  was  an  immense  elevated 
naked  plain  on  which  the  English  were  encamped. 

Behind  their  lines  at  the  top  of  the  hill  was  the 
village  of  Mont-St.-Jean,  and  a  league  and  a  half 
still  farther  away,  was  a  forest  which  bounded  the 
horizon. 

Between  us  and  the  English,  the  ground  descended 
gently  and  rose  again  nearest  us,  forming  a  little 
valley,  but  one  must  have  been  accustomed  to  the 
country  to  perceive  this ;  it  was  deepest  on  the  right 
and  contracted  like  a  ravine.  On  the  slope  of  this 
ravine  on  our  side,  behind  the  hedges  and  poplars 
and  other  trees,  some  thatched  roofs  indicated  a  ham- 
let ;  this  was  Planchenois.  In  the  same  direction  but 
much  higher,  and  in  the  rear  of  the  enemy's  left,  the 
plain  extended  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  and  was 
scattered  over  with  little  villages. 

The  clear  atmosphere  after  the  storm  enabled  ui 
to  distinguish  all  this  very  plainly. 


WATERLOO.  283 

We  could  even  see  the  little  village  of  Saint-Lam- 
bert three  leagues  distant  on  our  right. 

At  our  left  in  the  rear  of  the  English  right,  thcr*1 
were  other  little  villages  to  be  seen,  of  which  I  never 
know  the  names. 

We  took  in  all  this  grand  region  covered  with  a 
magnificent  crop  just  in  flower,  at  a  glance;  and  we 
asked  ourselves  why  the  English  were  there,  and  what 
advantage  they  had  in  guarding  that  position.  But 
when  we  observed  their  line  a  little  more  closely — it 
was  from  fifteen  hundred  to  two  thousand  yards  from 
us — we  could  see  the  broad,  well-paved  road,  which 
we  had  followed  from  Quatre-Bras  and  which  led  to 
Brussels,  dividing  their  position  nearly  in  the  center. 
It  was  straight,  and  we  could  follow  it  with  the  eye 
to  the  village  of  Mont-Saint- Jean  and  beyond  quite 
to  the  entrance  of  the  forest  of  Soignes.  This  we 
saw  the  English  intended  to  hold  to  prevent  us  from 
ojoino;  to  Brussels. 

On  looking  carefully  we  could  see  that  their  line  of 
battle  was  curved  a  little  toward  us  at  the  wings,  and 
that  it  followed  a  road  which  cut  the  route  to  Brussels 
like  a  cro-jS.  On  the  left  it  was  a  deep  cut,  and  on 
the  right  of  the  road  it  was  bordered  with  thick 
hedges  of  holly  and  dwarf  beech  which  are  common  in 
that  country.  Behind  these  were  posted  masses  of  red. 


•284  WATERLOO., 

coats  who  watched  us  from  their  trenches.  In  tli€ 
the  front,  the  slope  was  like  a  glacis.  This  was  very 
dangerous. 

Immense  bodies  of  cavalry  were  stationed  on  the 
flanks,  which  extended  nearly  three-quarters  of  a 
league. 

We  saw  that  the  cavalry  on  the  plateau  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  main  road  after  having  passed  the 
hill,  descended  before  going  to  Mont-Saint-Jean,  and 
we  understood  that  there  was  a  hollow  between  the 
position  of  the  English  and  that  village ;  not  very 
deep,  as  we  could  see  the  plumes  of  the  soldiers  as 
they  passed  through,  but  still  deep  enough  to  shelter 
heavy  reserves  from  our  bullets. 

I  had  already  seen  Weissenfels,  Lutzen,  Leipzig, 
and  Ligny,  and  I  began  to  understand  what  these 
things  meant,  and  why  they  arranged  themselves  in 
one  way  rather  then  another,  and  I  thought  that  the 
manner  in  which  these  English  had  laid  their  plans  and 
stationed  their  forces  on  this  cross  road  to  defend  the 
road  to  Brussels,  and  to  shelter  their  reserves,  showed 
a  vast  deal  of  good  sense. 

But  in  spite  of  all  that,  three  things  seemed  to  me 
to  be  m  our  favor.  The  position  of  the  enemy  with  its 
covered  ways  and  hidden  reserves  was  like  a  great 
fort.     Every  one  knows  that  in  time  of  war  every 


WATERLOO.  285 

thing  is  demolished  that  can  furnish  a  shelter  to  the 
enemy. 

Well !  just  in  their  center,  on  the  high  road  and  on 
the  slope  of  their  glacis,  was  a  farm-house  like  the 
"Rouletta"  at  Quatre- Vents,  but  five  or  six  times 
larger. 

I  could  see  it  plainly  from  where  we  stood.  It  was 
a  great  square,  the  offices,  the  house,  the  stables  and 
barns  formed  a  triangle  on  the  side  toward  the  Eng- 
lish, and  on  our  side  the  other  half  was  formed  by  a 
wall  and  sheds,  with  a  court  in  the  center.  The  wall 
running  along  the  field  side,  had  a  small  door,  the 
other  on  the  road  had  an  entrance  for  carriages  and 
wagons. 

It  was  built  of  brick  and  was  very  solid.  Of 
course  the  English  had  filled  it  with  troops  like  a 
sort  of  demi-lune,  but  if  we  could  take  it  we  should 
be  close  to  their  center  and  could  throw  our  attack- 
ing columns  upon  them,  without  remaining  long  un- 
der their  fire. 

Nothing  could  be  better  for  us.  This  place  was 
called  Haie-Sainte,  as  we  found  out  afterward. 

A  little  farther  on,  in  front  of  their  right  wing  was 
another  little  farmstead  and  grove,  which  we  could 
also  try  to  take.  I  could  not  see  it  from  where  I 
stood,  but  it  was  a  stronger  position  than  Haie-Sainte 


286  WATERLOO. 

as  it  was  covered  by  an  orchard,  surrounded  with 
walls,  and  farther  on  was  the  wood.  The  fire  from 
the  windows  swept  the  garden,  and  that  from  the 
garden  covered  the  wood,  and  that  from  the  wood 
the  side-hill,  and  the  enemy  could  beat  a  retreat  from 
one  to  the  other. 

I  did  not  see  this  with  my  own  eyes,  but  some  vet- 
erans gave  me  an  account  of  the  attack  on  this 
farm;  it  was  called  Hougoumont. 

One  must  be  exact  in  speaking  of  such  a  battle, 
the  things  seen  with  one's  own  eyes  are  the  princi- 
pal, and  we  can  say : 

"  I  saw  them,  but  the  other  accounts  I  had  from 
men  incapable  of  falsehood  or  deception." 

And  lastly  in  front  of  their  left  wing  on  the  road 
leading  to  Wavre,  about  a  hundred  paces  from  the 
hill  on  our  side,  were  the  farms  of  Papelotte  and 
La  Haye,  occupied  by  the  Germans,  and  the  lit- 
tle hamlets  of  Smohain,  Cheval-de-Bois,  and  Jean- 
Loo,  which  I  informed  myself  about  afterward  in 
order  to  understand  all  that  took  place.  I  could  see 
these  hamlets  plainly  enough  then,  but  I  did  not  pay 
much  attention  to  them  as  they  were  beyond  our 
line  of  battle  on  the  right,  and  we  did  not  see  any 
troops  there. 

Now  you  can  all  see  the  position  of  the  English 


WATERLOO.  287 

on  our  front,  the  road  to  Brussels  which  traversed  it, 
the  cross-road  which  covered  it,  the  plateau  in  the 
rear  where  the  reserves  were,  and  the  three  farms, 
Uougoumont,  Haie-Sainte,  and  Papelotte  in  front, 
Well  garrisoned.  You  can  all  see  that  it  would  he 
very  difficult  to  force. 

I  looked  at  it  about  six  o'clock  that  morning  very 
attentively,  as  a  man  will  do  who  is  to  run  the 
risk  of  breaking  his  bones  and  losing  his  life  in  some 
enterprise,  and  who  at  least  likes  to  know  if  he  has 
any  chance  of  escape. 

Zebede,  Sergeant  Rabot,  and  Captain  Florentin, 
Buche,  and  indeed  every  one  as  he  rose  cast  a  glance 
at  that  hill-side  without  saying  a  word.  Then  they 
looked  around  them  at  the  great  squares  of  infantry, 
the  squadrons  of  cuirassiers,  of  dragoons,  chasseurs, 
lancers,  etc.,  encamped  amid  the  growing  grain. 

Nobody  had  any  fears  now  that  the  English  would 
beat  a  retreat,  we  lighted  as  many  fires  as  we  pleased, 
and  the  smoke  from  the  damp  straw  filled  the  air. 
Those  who  had  a  little  rice  left,  put  on  their  camp- 
kettles,  while  those  who  had  none  looked  on  think- 


ing : 


"Each  has  his  turn;  yesterday  we  hai  meat,  anu 
we  despised  the  rice,  now  we  should  be  very  grate- 
ful for  even  that." 


288  WATERLOO. 

About  eight  o'clock  the  wagons  arrived  with  car 
tridges  and  hogsheads  of  brandy;  each  soldier  re- 
ceived a  double  ration:  with  a  crust  of  bread  we 
might  have  done  very  well,  but  the  bread  was  not 
there.  You  can  imagine  what  sort  of  humor  we 
were  in. 

This  was  all  we  had  that  day:  immediately  af- 
ter, the  grand  movements  commenced.  Regiments 
joined  their  "brigades,  brigades  their  divisions,  and 
the  divisions  re-formed  their  corps.  Officers  on  horse- 
back carried  orders  back  and  forth,  every  thing  was 
in  motion. 

Our  battalion  joined  Donzelot's  division ;  the  others 
had  only  eight  battalions,  but  his  had  nine. 

I  have  often  heard  the  veterans  repeat  the  order 
of  battle  given  by  Napoleon.  The  corps  of  Reille  was 
on  the  left  of  the  road  opposite  Hougoumont,  that 
of  d'Erlon,  at  the  right,  opposite  Haie-Sainte;  N"ey  on 
horseback  on  the  highway,  and  Napoleon  in  the  rear 
with  the  Old  Guard,  the  special  detachments,  the  lan- 
cers and  chasseurs,  etc.  That  was  all  that  I  under- 
stood, for  when  they  began  to  talk  of  the  movements 
of  eleven  columns,  of  the  distance  which  they  de 
ployed,  and  when  they  named  the  generals  one  after 
another,  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  they  were  talking  o\ 
something  which  I  had  never  seen. 


WATERLOO.  289 

I  like  better  therefore  to  tell  you  simply  what  I 
saw  and  remember  myself. 

The  first  movement  was  at  half-past  eight,  when 
our  four  divisions  received  the  order  to  take  the  ad 
vance  to  the  right  of  the  highway.  There  were  about 
fifteen  or  twenty  thousand  men  marching  in  two  col- 
umns, with  arms  at  will,  sinking  to  our  knees  at  every 
step  in  the  soft  ground.     Nobody  spoke  a  word. 

Several  persons  have  related  that  we  were  jubilant 
and  were  all  singing ;  but  it  is  false.  Marching  all 
night  without  rations,  sleeping  in  the  water,  for- 
bidden to  light  a  fire,  when  preparing  for  showers  of 
grape  and  canister,  all  this  took  away  any  inclination 
to  sing,  we  were  glad  to  pull  our  shoes  out  of  the  holes 
in  which  they  were  buried  at  every  step,  and  chilled 
and  drenched  to  our  waists  by  the  wet  grain,  the  hard 
iest  and  most  courageous  among  us  wore  a  discontent- 
ed air.  It  is  true  that  the  bands  played  marches  for 
their  regiments,  that  the  trumpets  of  the  cavalry,  the 
drums  of  the  infantry,  and  the  trombones  mingled 
their  tones  and  produced  a  terrible  effect,  as  they  do 
always. 

It  is  also  true  that  these  thousands  of  men  marched 
briskly  and  in  good  order,  with  their  knapsacks  at 
their  backs,  and  their  muskets  on  their  shoulders,  the 
white  lines  of  the  cuirassiers  followed  the  red,  brown, 

13 


29C  WATERLOO. 

and  green  of  the  dragoons,  hussars,  and  lancers,  with 
their  little  swallow-tailed  pennons  filling  the  air ;  the 
artillery-men  in  the  intervals  between  the  brigades, 
on  horseback  around  their  guns,  which  cut  through 
the  ground  to  their  axles, — -all  these  mo  ved  straight 
through  the  grain,  not  a  head  of  which  remained 
standing  behind  them,  and  truly  there  rcalUL  not  be 
a  sight  more  dreadful. 

The  English  drawn  up  in  perfect  oriar  in  front, 
their  gunners  ready  with  their  lighted  matches  in 
their  hands,  made  us  think,  but  did  not  delight  us 
quite  so  much  as  some  have  pretended,  and  men  who 
like  to  receive  cannon-balls  are  still  rather  rare. 

Father  Goulden  told  me  that  the  soldiers  sang  in 
his  time,  but  then  they  went  voluntarily  and  not  from 
force.  They  fought  in  defense  of  their  homes  and 
for  human  rights,  which  they  loved  better  than  therr 
own  eyes,  and  it  was  not  at  all  like  risking  our  lives 
to  find  out  whether  we  were  to  have  an  old  or  a  new 
nobility.  As  for  me,  I  never  heard  any  one  sing  either 
at  Leipzig  or  Waterloo. 

On  we  went,  the  bands  still  playing  by  order  from 
head-quarters. 

The  music  ceased,  and  the  silence  which  followed 
was  profound.  Then  we  were  at  the  edge  of  the  lit- 
tle valley,  and  about  twelve  hundred  paces  fron*  the 


WATERLOO.  291 

English  left.     We  were  in  the  center  of  our  army, 
with  the  chasseurs  and  lancers  on  our  ri^ht  flank. 

We  took  our  distances  and  closed  up  the  intervals 
The  first  brigade  of  the  first  division  turned  to  the 
left  and  formed  on  the  highway.  Our  battalion 
formed  a  part  of  the  second  division,  and  we  were 
in  the  first  line,  with  a  single  brigade  of  the  first  di- 
vision before  us.  The  artillery  was  passed  up  to  the 
front,  and  that  of  the  English  was  directly  opposite 
and  on  the  same  level.  And  for  a  long  time  the  other 
divisions  were  moving  up  to  support  us.  It  seemed 
as  if  the  earth  itself  was  in  motion.  The  veterans 
would  say :  "  There  are  Milhaud's  cuirassiers  !  Here 
are  the  chasseurs  of  Lefebvre-Desnoettes !  Yonder  is 
Lobau's  corps !" 

On  every  side,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  there 
was  nothing  to  be  seen  but  cuirasses,  helmets,  col- 
backs,*  sabers,  lances,  and  files  of  bayonets. 

"  What  a  battle,"  exclaimed  Buche.  "  Woe  to  the 
English !" 

I  had  the  same  thought ;  I  did  not  believe  a  single 
Englishman  would  escape.  But  it  was  we  who  were 
unfortunate  that  day,  though  had  it  not  been  for  thu 
Prussians  I  still  believe  we  should  have  exterminated 
them. 

*  Military  caps  of  bear-skin. 


292  WATERLOO. 

During  the  two  Lours  we  stood  there,  we  did  not 
see  the  half  of  our  regiments  and  squadrons,  and  new 
ones  were  continually  coming.  About  an  hour  after 
we  took  our  position  we  heard  suddenly  on  the  left, 
shouts  of  "Vive  l'Empereur,"  they  increased  as  they 
approached  us  like  a  tempest;  we  all  stood  on  our 
tiptoes  and  stretched  our  necks  to  see ;  they  spread 
through  all  the  ranks,  and  even  the  horses  in  the  rear 
neighed  as  if  they  would  shout  too.  At  that  moment 
a  troop  of  general  officers  whirled  along  our  front 
like  the  wind.  Napoleon  was  among  them,  and  I 
thought  I  sawhirn,  though  I  was  not  certain,  he  went 
so  swiftly,  and  so  many  men  raised  their  shakos  on 
the  points  of  their  bayonets  that  I  hardly  had  time 
to  distinguish  his  round  shoulders  and  gray  coat  in 
the  midst  of  the  laced  uniforms.  When  the  captain 
had  shouted,  Ci  Carry  arms !  present  arms !"  it  was 
over. 

We  saw  him  in  this  way  every  day,  at  least  when 
we  were  on  guard. 

After  he  had  passed,  the  shouts  continued  along 
our  right  farther  and  farther  away,  and  we  all  thought 
the  battle  would  begin  in  twenty  minutes. 

But  we  were  obliged  to  wait  a  long  time  and  we 
grew  impatient.  The  conscripts  in  d'Erlon's  corps, 
who  were  not  in  battle  the  day  before,  began  to  shout 


WATERLOO.  291 

English  left.     We  were  in  the  center  of  our  army, 
with  the  chasseurs  and  lancers  on  our  right  flank. 

We  took  our  distances  and  closed  up  the  intervals 
The  first  brigade  of  the  first  division  turned  to  the 
left  and  formed  on  the  highway.  Our  battalion 
formed  a  part  of  the  second  division,  and  we  were 
in  the  first  line,  with  a  single  brigade  of  the  first  di- 
vision before  us.  The  artillery  was  passed  up  to  the 
front,  and  that  of  the  English  was  directly  opposite 
and  on  the  same  level.  And  for  a  long  time  the  other 
divisions  were  moving  up  to  support  us.  It  seemed 
as  if  the  earth  itself  was  in  motion.  The  veterans 
would  say :  "  There  are  Milhaud's  cuirassiers !  Here 
are  the  chasseurs  of  Lefebvre-Desnoettes !  Yonder  is 
Lobau's  corps !" 

On  every  side,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  there 
was  nothing  to  be  seen  but  cuirasses,  helmets,  col- 
backs,*  sabers,  lances,  and  files  of  bayonets. 

"  What  a  battle,"  exclaimed  Buche.  "  Woe  to  the 
English !" 

I  had  the  same  thought ;  I  did  not  believe  a  single 
Englishman  would  escape.  But  it  was  we  who  were 
unfortunate  that  day,  though  had  it  not  been  for  the 
Prussians  I  still  believe  we  should  have  exterminated 
them. 

*  Military  caps  of  bear-skin. 


292  WATERLOO. 

During  the  two  hours  we  stood  there,  we  did  not 
see  the  half  of  our  regiments  and  squadrons,  and  new 
ones  were  continually  coming.  About  an  hour  after 
we  took  our  position  we  heard  suddenly  on  the  left, 
shouts  of  "  Yive  l'Empereur,"  they  increased  as  they 
approached  us  like  a  tempest;  we  all  stood  on  our 
tiptoes  and  stretched  our  necks  to  see ;  they  spread 
through  all  the  ranks,  and  even  the  horses  in  the  rear 
neighed  as  if  they  would  shout  too.  At  that  moment 
a  troop  of  general  officers  whirled  along  our  front 
like  the  wind.  Napoleon  was  among  them,  and  I 
thought  I  saw  him,  though  I  was  not  certain,  he  went 
so  swiftly,  and  so  many  men  raised  their  shakos  on 
the  points  of  their  bayonets  that  I  hardly  had  time 
to  distinguish  his  round  shoulders  and  gray  coat  in 
the  midst  of  the  laced  uniforms.  When  the  captain 
had  shouted,  et  Carry  arms !  present  arms  1"  it  was 
over. 

We  saw  him  in  this  way  every  day,  at  least  when 
we  were  on  guard. 

After  he  had  passed,  the  shouts  continued  along 
our  right  farther  and  farther  away,  and  we  all  thought 
(he  battle  would  begin  in  twenty  minutes. 

But  we  were  obliged  to  wait  a  long  time  and  we 
grew  impatient.  The  conscripts  in  d'Erlon's  corps, 
who  were  not  in  battle  the  day  before,  began  to  shout 


WATERLOO.  293 

'  Forwaid!"  At  last,  about  noon,  the  cannon  thun 
dered  on  the  left  and  were  followed  by  the  fire 
from  the  battalion  and  then  the  file.  We  could  see 
nothing-  for  it  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  road.  The 
attack  had  commenced  on  Hougoumont.  Immedi- 
ately shouts  of  "  Vive  l'Empereur"  broke  out.  The 
cannoneers  of  our  four  divisions  were  standing  the 
whole  length  of  the  hill-side,  at  twenty  paces  from 
each  other.  At  the  discharge  of  the  first  gun,  they 
all  commenced  to  load  at  once.  I  see  them  still,  as 
they  put  in  the  charge,  ram  it  home,  raise  up,  and 
shake  out  their  matches  as  by  a  single  movement. 
This  made  us  shiver.  The  captains  of  the  guns, 
nearly  all  old  officers,  stood  behind  their  pieces  and 
gave  orders  as  if  on  parade;  and  when  the  whole 
twenty-four  guns  went  off  together,  the  report  was 
deafening,  and  the  whole  valley  was  covered  with 
smoke. 

At  the  end  of  a  second,  we  heard  the  calm  voices 
of  these  veterans  above  the  whistlingin  our  ears  say- 
ing "  Load  !  take  aim !  fire !"  And  that  continued 
without  interruption  for  half  an  hour.  We  could 
see  nothing  at  all,  but  the  English  hadopened  their 
fire,  aud  we  heard  their  bullets  scream  in  the  air 
and  strike  with  a  dull  sound  in  the  mud ;  and  then 
we  could  hear  another  sound  too,  that  of  the  mns- 


294  WATERLOO. 

kets  striking  against  each  other,  and  the  sound  of 
the  bodies  of  wounded  men  as  they  were  thrown  like 
boneless  sacks  twenty  paces  in  the  rear,  or  sank  in 
a  htap  with  a  leg  or  an  arm  wanting.  All  this  min- 
led  with  the  dull  rumbling ;  the  destruction  had  com- 
menced. 
The  groans  of  the  wounded  mingled    also    with 

these  sounds,  and  with  the  fierce  terrible  neighing 
of  the  horses,  which  are  naturally  ferocious,  and  de- 
light in  slaughter.  We  could  hear  this  tumult  half 
a  league  in  the  rear ;  and  it  was  with  great  difficulty 
the  animals  could  be  restrained  from  setting*  off  to 
join  in  the  battle. 

For  a  long  time  we  had  been  able  to  see  nothing 
but  the  shadows  of  the  gunners  as  they  maneuvered 
in  the  smoke,  on  the  border  of  the  ravine,  when  we 
heard  the  order,  "  Cease  firing  !"  At  the  same  mo- 
ment we  heard  the  piercing  voices  of  the  colonels  of 
our  four  divisions  shout,  "Close  up  the  ranks  for  bat- 
tle !"     All  the  lines  approached  each  other. 

"  Now  it  is  our  turn,"  said  I  to  Buche. 

"  Yes,"  he  replied,  "  let  us  keep  together." 

The  smoke  from  our  guns  rose  up  into  the  air,  and 
then  we  could  see  the  batteries  of  the  English,  who 
still  continued  their  fire  all  along  the  hedges  which 
oordered  the  road. 


WATERLOO.  295 

The  first  brigade  of  Alix's  division  advanced  at  a 
quick  step  along  the  road  leading  to  Haie-Sainte.  In 
the  rear  I  recognized  Marshal  Ney  with  several  of 
the  officers  of  his  staff. 

From  every  window  of  the  farm-house,  and  from 
the  garden,  and  walls  which  had  been  pierced  with 
holes,  came  fiery  showers,  and  at  every  step  men 
were  left  stretched  on  the  road.  General  Ney  on 
horseback  with  the  corners  of  his  great  hat  pointing 
over  his  shoulders,  watched  the  action  from  the  mid- 
dle of  the  roacL     I  said  to  Buche 

"  That  is  Marshal  Ney,  the  second  brigade  will  go 
to  support  the  first,  and  we  shall  come  next." 

But  I  mistook ;  at  that  very  moment  the  first  bat- 
talion of  the  second  brigade  received  orders  to 
march  in  line  on  the  right  of  the  highway,  the  second 
in  the  rear  of  the  first,  the  third  behind  the  second, 
and  the  fourth  following  in  file. 

We  had  not  time  to  form  in  column,  but  we  were 
solidly  arrayed  after  all,  one  behind  the  other,  from 
one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  men  in  line  in 
front,  the  captains  between  the  companies,  and  the 
commandants  between  the  battalions.  But  the  balls 
instead  of  carrying  off  two  men  at  a  time  would  now 
take  eight.  Those  in  the  rear  could  not  fire  because 
those  in  front  were  in  the  way  and  we  found  too 


296  WATERLOO. 

that  we  could  not  form  in  squares.  That  should  have 
been  thought  of  beforehand,  but  was  overlooked  in 
the  desire  to  break  the  enemy's  line  and  gain  all  at  a 
blow. 

Our  division  marched  in  the  same  order :  as  the 
first  battalion  advanced,  the  second  followed  immedi- 
ately in  their  steps,  and  so  on  with  all  the  rest.  I 
was  pleased  to  see,  that,  commencing  on  the  left,  we 
should  be  in  the  twenty-fifth  rank,  and  that  there 
must  be  terrible  slaughter  before  we  should  be 
reached. 

The  two  divisions  on  our  right  were  also  formed 
in  close  column,  at  three  hundred  paces  from  each 
other. 

Thus  we  descended  into  the  little  valley,  in  the 
face  of  the  English  fire.  We  were  somewhat  delay- 
ed by  the  soft  ground,  but  we  all  shouted,  "  To  the 
bayonet !" 

As  we  mounted  on  the  other  side,  we  were  met  by 
a  hail  of  balls  from  above  the  road  at  the  left.  If  we 
had  not  been  so  crowded  together,  this  terrible  vol- 
ley would  have  checked  us.  The  charge  sounded  and 
the  officers  shouted,  "  Steady  on  the  left !" 

But  this  terrible  fire  made  us  lengthen  our  risrht 
step  more  than  our  left,  in  spite  of  ourselves,  so  that 
when  we  neared  the  road  bordered  by  the  hedges, 


WATERLOO.  297 

we  had  lost  our  distances  and  our  division  formed  a 
square,  so  to  speak,  with  the  third. 

Two  batteries  now  swept  our  ranks,  and  the  shot 
from  the  hedges  a  hundred  feet  distant  pierced  us 
through  and  through ;  a  cry  of  horror  burst  forth 
and  we  rushed  on  the  batteries,  overpowering  the 
red-coats  who  vainly  endeavored  to  stop  us. 

It  was  then  that  I  first  saw  the  English  close  at 
hand.  They  were  strong,  fair,  and  closely  shaved, 
like  well-to-do  bourgeois.  They  defended  themselves 
bravely,  but  we  were  as  good  as  they.  It  was  not 
our  fault — the  common  soldiers — if  they  did  defeat 
us  at  last,  all  the  world  knows  that  we  showed  as 
much  and  more  courage  than  they  did. 

It  has  been  said  that  we  were  not  the  soldiers  of 
Austerlitz  and  Jena,  of  Friedland  and  of  Moskowa. 
It  was  because  they  were  so  good,  perhaps,  that  they 
were  spared.  We  would  have  asked  nothing  better, 
than  to  have  seen  them  in  our  place. 

Every  shot  of  the  English  told,  and  we  were  forced 
to  break  our  ranks.  Men  are  not  palisades,  and  must 
defend  themselves  when  attacked. 

Great  numbers  were  detached  from  their  compa- 
nies, when  thousands  of  Englishmen  rose  up  from 
among  the  barley  and  fired,  their  muskets  almost 
touching  our  men,  which  caused  a  terrible  slaughter 

13* 


298  WATERLOO. 

The  other  ranks  rushed  to  the  support  of  their  com- 
rades, and  we  should  all  have  been  dispersed  over  the 
hill-side  like  a  swarm  of  ants,  if  we  had  not  heard  the 
shout,  "  Attention,  the  cavalry  !" 

Almost  at  the  same  instant,  a  crowd  of  red  dragoons 
mounted  on  gray  horses,  swept  down  upon  us  like 
the  wind,  and-  those  who  had  straggled  were  cut  to 
pieces  without  mercy. 

They  did  not  fall  upon  our  columns  in  order  to 
break  them,  they  were  too  deep  and  massive  for  that ; 
but  they  came  down  between  the  divisions,  slashing 
right  and  left  with  their  sabers,  and  spurring  their 
horses  into  the  flanks  of  the  columns  to  cut  them  in 
two,  and  though  they  could  not  succeed  in  this,  they 
killed  great  numbers  and  threw  us  into  confusion. 

It  was  one  of  the  most  terrible  moments  of  my  life.  A 
As  an  old  soldier  I  was  at  the  right  of  the  battalion, 
and  saw  what  they  were  intending  to  do.  They  leaned 
over  as  far  as  possible  when  they  passed,  in  order  to 
cut  into  our  ranks ;  their  strokes  followed  each  other 
like  lightning,  and  more  than  twenty  times  I  though. t 
my  head  was  off  my  shoulders,  but  Sergeant  liabot 
closed  the  file  fortunately  for  me  ;  it  was  he  who  re- 
ceived this  terrible  shower  of  blc  ws,  and  he  defended 
himself  to  the  last  breath.  At  every  stroke  he  shouted, 
"  Cowards,  Cowards  1" 


WATERLOO.  299 

His  blood  sprinkled  me  like  rain,  and  at  last  lie  fell. 
My  musket  was  still  loaded,  and  seeing  one  of  the 
dragoons  coming  with  his  eye  fixed  on  me  and  bending 
over  to  give  me  a  thrust,  I  let  him  have  it  full  in  the 
breast.  This  was  the  only  man  I  ever  saw  fall  under 
my  fire. 

The  worst  was,  that  at  that  moment  their  foot-sol- 
diers rallied  and  recommenced  their  fire,  and  they 
even  were  so  bold  as  to  attack  us  with  the  bayonet. 
Only  the  first  two  ranks  made  a  stand.  It  was  shame- 
ful to  form  our  men  in  that  manner. 

Then  the  red  dragoons  and  our  columns  rushed 
pell-mell  down  the  hill  together. 

And  still  our  division  made  the  best  defense,  for 
we  brought  off  our  colors,  while  the  two  others  had 
lost  two  eagles. 

We  rushed  down  in  this  fashion  through  the  mud 
and  over  the  cannon,  which  had  been  brought  down 
to  support  us,  and  had  been  cut  loose  from  the  horses 
by  the  sabers  of  the  dragoons. 

We  scattered  in  every  direction,  Buche  and  I  al- 
ways keeping  together,  and  it  was  ten  minutes  before 
we  could  be  rallied  again  near  the  road  in  squads 
from  all  the  regiments. 

Those  who  have  the  direction  of  affairs  in  war 
should  keep  such  examples  as  these  before  their  eyes,' 


300  WATERLOO. 

and  reflect  that  new  plans  cost  those  dear  who  are 

forced  to  try  them. 

We  looked  over  our  shoulders  as  we  took  breath 

i 

and  saw  the  red  dragoons  rushing  up  the  hill  to  cap* 
ture  our  principal  battery  of  twenty-four  guns,  when, 
thank  God !    their  turn  came  to  be  massacred. 

The  Emperor  had  observed  our  retreat  from  a  dis- 
tance, and  as  the  dragoons  mounted  the  hill,  two  re- 
giments of  cuirassiers  on  the  right,  and  a  regiment 
of  lancers  on  the  left  fell  on  their  flanks  like  light- 
ning, and  before  they  had  time  to  look,  they  were 
upon  them.  We  could  hear  the  blows  slide  over  their 
cuirasses,  hear  their  horses  puff,  and  a  hundred  paces 
away  we  could  see  the  lances  rise  and  fall,  the  long 
sabers  stretch  out,  and  the  men  bend  down  to  thrust 
under ;  the  furious  horses,  rearing,  biting,  and  neigh- 
ing frightfully,  and  then  men  under  the  horses'  feet 
were  trying  to  get  up,  and  sheltering  themselves 
with  their  hands. 

What  horrible  things  are  battles  !  Buche  shouted, 
<  Strike  hard  !" 

I  felt  the  sweat  run  down  my  forehead,  and  others 
with  great  gashes,  and  their  eyes  full  of  blood,  were 
wiping  their  faces  and  laughing  ferociously. 

In  ten  minutes,  seven  hundred  dragoons  were  hors- 
de-combat  ;    their  gray  horses  were  running  wildly 


''JOSEPH!     YOU   HAVE    THEN   ESCAPED   EVERYTHING." 


WATEPLOO.  301 

about  on  all  sides,  with  their  bits  in  their  teeth 
Some  hundreds  of  them  had  retired  behind  their  bat 
teries,  but  more  than  one  was  reeling  in  his  saddle 
and  clutching  at  his  horse's  mane. 

They  had  found  out  that  to  attack  was  not  all  the 
battle,  5^  d  that  very  often  circumstances  arise  which 
are  quite  unexpected. 

In  all  that  frightful  spectacle,  what  impressed  me 
most  deeply,  was  seeing  our  cuirassiers  returning 
with  their  sabers  red  to  the  hilt,  laughing  among 
themselves ;  and  a  fat  captain  with  immense  brown 
mustaches,  winked  good  humoredly  as  he  passed  by 
us,  as  much  as  to  say,  "  You  see  we  sent  them  back 
in  a  hurry,  eh  !" 

Yes,  but  three  thousand  of  our  men  were  left  in 
that  little  hollow.  And  it  was  not  yet  finished :  the 
companies  and  battalions  and  brigades  were  being 
re-formed,  the  musketry  rattled  in  the  vicinity  of 
Haie-Sainte,  and  the  cannon  thundered  near  Hou- 
goumont.  "  It  was  only  just  a  beginning  "  the  offi- 
cers said.  You  would  have  thought  that  men's  ilves 
were  of  no  value ! 

But  it  was  necessary  to  get  possession  of  Haie- 
Sainte,  and  to  force  a  passage  from  the  highway  to 
the  enemy's  center  just  as  an  entrance  must  be  effect- 
ed into  a  fortification  through  the   fire  of  the  out 


302  WATERLOO 

works  and  the  demi-lunes.  We  had  been  i  ^pulsed 
the  first  time,  but  the  battle  was  begun,  and  wo 
could  not  go  back.  After  the  charge  of  the  cuiras- 
siers, it  took  a  little  time  for  us  to  re-form :  the  bat- 
tle continued  at  Hougoumont,  and  the  cannonade 
re-opened  on  our  right,  and  two  batteries  had  been 
brought  up  to  sweep  the  highway  in  the  rear  of  Haie- 
Sainte,  where  the  road  begins  to  mount  the  hill.  We 
all  saw  that  that  was  to  be  the  point  of  attack. 

We  stood  waiting  with  shouldered  arms,  when 
about  three  o'clock  Buche  looked  behind  him  on  the 
road  and  said,  "  The  Emperor  is  coming !" 

And  others  in  the  ranks  repeated,  "  Here  is  the 
Emperor." 

The  smoke  was  so  thick  that  we  could  barely  see 
the  bear-skin  caps  of  the  Old  Guard  on  the  little  hill 
of  Rossomme.  I  turned  round  also  to  see  the  Em- 
peror, and  immediately  recognized  Marshal  Ney, 
with  five  or  six  of  his  staff  officers.  He  was  coming 
from  head-quarters  and  pushed  straight  down  upon 
us  across  the  fields.  We  stood  with  our  backs  to 
him ;  our  officers  hurried  to  meet  him,  and  they  con- 
versed together,  but  we  could  not  hear  a  word  in 
consequence  of  the  noiso  which  filled  our  ears. 

The  marshal  then  rode  along  the  front  of  our  two 
battalions,  with  his  sword  drawn.     I  had  never  seer 


WATERLOO-  303 

Kim  so  near  since  the  grand  review  at  Aschaffen- 
bourg;  he  seemed  older,  thinner,  and  more  bony, 
but  still  the  same  man;  he  looked  at  us  with  his 
sharp  gray  eyes,  as  if  he  took  us  all  in  at  a  glance. 
and  each  one  felt  as  if  he  were  looking  directly  at 
him. 

At  the  end  of  a  second  he  pointed  toward  Haie- 
Sainte  with  his  sword,  and  exclaimed : 

"We  are  going  to  take  that,  you  will  have  the 
whole  at  once,  it  is  the  turning-point  of  the  battle 
I  am  going  to  lead  you  myself.  Battalions,  by  file 
to  the  left !" 

We  started  at  a  quick  step  on  the  road,  marching 
by  companies  in  three  ranks.  I  was  in  the  second. 
Marshal  Ney  was  in  front,  on  horseback,  with 
the  two  colonels  and  Captain  Florentin :  he  had  re- 
turned his  sword  to  the  scabbard.  The  balls  whis- 
tled round  our  ears  by  hundreds,  and  the  roar  of  can- 
non from  Hougoumont  and  on  our  left  and  right  in 
the  rear  was  so  incessant,  that  it  was  like  the  ringing 
of  an  immense  bell,  when  you  no  longer  hear  the 
strokes,  but  only  the  booming.  One  and  another 
sank  down  from  among  us,  but  we  passed  right  on 
over  them. 

Two  or  three  times  the  marshal  turned  round  to 
see  if  we  were  marching  in  ^ood  order  •  he  looked' so 


304  WATERLOO. 

calm,  that  it  seemed  to  me  quite  natural  not  to  be 
afraid,  his  face  inspired  us  all  with  confidence,  and 
each  one  thought,  "  Ney  is  with  us,  the  others  are 
lost !"  which  only  shows  the  stupidity  of  the  human 
race,  since  so  many  others  besides  us  escaped. 

As  we  approached  the  buildings  the  report  of  the 
musketry  became  more  distinct  from  the  roar  of  can 
non,  and  we  could  better  see  the  flash  of  the  guns 
from  the  windows,  and  the  great  black  roof  above  in 
the  smoke,  and  the  road  blocked  up  with  stones. 

We  went  along  by  a  hedge,  behind  which  crackled 
the  fire  of  our  skirmishers,  for  the  first  brigade  of 
Alix's  division  had  not  quitted  the  orchards  ;  and  on 
seeing  us  filing  along  the  road,  they  commenced  to 
shout, "  Vive  l'Empereur." 

The  whole  fire  of  the  German  musketry  was  then 
turned  on  us,  when  Marshal  Ney  drew  his  sword  and 
shouted  in  a  voice  which  reached  every  ear,  "  For- 
ward !" 

He  disappeared  in  the  smoke  with  two  or  three 
officers,  and  we  all  started  on  a  run,  our  cartridge- 
boxes  dangling  about  our  hips,  and  our  muskets  at 
^he  "ready." 

Far  to  the  rear  they  were  beating  the  charge  ;  we 
did  not  see  the  marshal  again  till  we  reached  a  shed 
which  separated  the  garden  from  the  road,   when  we 


WATERLOO.  305 

discovered  him  on    horseback  before  the  main  en 
trance. 

It  appeared  that  they  had  already  tried  to  force 
the  door,  as  there  was  a  heap  of  dead  men,  timbers, 
paving  stones,  and  rubbish  piled  up  before  it,  reach- 
ing to  the  middle  of  the  road.  The  shot  poured 
from  every  opening  in  the  building,  and  the  air  was 
heavy  with  the  smell  of  the  powder. 

"  Break  that  in,"  shouted  the  marshal.  Fifteen  or 
twenty  of  us  dropped  our  muskets,  and  seizing 
beams  we  drove  them  against  the  door  with  such 
force.,  that  it  cracked  and  echoed  back  the  blows  like 
thunder.  You  would  have  thought  it  would  drop 
at  every  stroke ;  we  could  see  through  the  planks 
the  paving  stones  heaped  as  high  as  the  top  inside. 
It  was  full  of  holes,  and  when  it  fell  it  might  have 
crushed  us,  but  fury  had  rendered  us  blind  to  dan- 
ger. We  no  longer  had  any  resemblance  to  men, 
some  had  lost  their  shakos,  others  had  their  clothes 
nearly  torn  off;  the  blood  ran  from  their  fingers  and 
down  their  sides,  and  at  every  discharge  of  musketry 
the  shot  from  the  hill  struck  the  paving-stones, 
pounding  them  to  dust  around  us. 

I  looked  about  me,  but  I  could  not  see  either  Buche 
or  Zebede  or  any  others  of  our  company,  the  marshal 
had  disappeared  also.     Our  rage  redoubled  ;  and  as 


306  WATERLOO. 

the  timbers  went  back  and  forth,  we  grew  furious  to 
find  that  the  door  would  not  come  down,  when  sud- 
denly we  heard  shouts  of  "  Yive  l'Empereur  "  from 
the  court,  accompanied  with  a  most  horrible  uproar, 
Every  one  knew  that  our  troops  had  gained  an  en- 
trance into  the  inclosure.  We  dropped  the  tim- 
bers, and  seizing  our  guns  we  sprang  through  the 
breaches  into  the  garden  to  find  where  the  others  had 
entered.  It  was  in  the  rear  of  the  house  through 
a  door  opening  into  the  barn.  We  rushed  through 
one  after  the  other  like  a  pack  of  wolves. 

The  interior  of  this  old  structure,  with  its  lofts  full 
of  hay  and  straw,  and  its  stables  covered  with  thatch, 
looked  like  a  bloody  nest  which  had  been  attacked 
by  a  sparrow-hawk. 

On  a  great  dung-heap  in  the  middle  of  the  court, 
our  men  were  bayoneting  the  Germans  who  were 
yelling  and  swearing  savagely. 

I  was  running  hap-hazard  through  this  butchery, 
when  I  heard  some  one  call,  "  Joseph,  Joseph  1"  I 
looked  round,  thinking,  "That  is  Buche  calling  me." 
In  a  moment  I  saw  him  at  the  door  of  a  wood-shed, 
crossing  bayonets  with  five  or  six  of  our  men. 

I  caught  sight  of  Zebede  at  the  same  instant,  as 
our  company  was  in  that  corner,  and  rushing  to 
Buche's  assistance,  I  shouted,  "Zeb6de!"     Parting 


WATERLOO.  307 

the  combatants,  I  asked  Buche  what  was  the  mat- 
ter. 

"  They  want  to  murder  my  prisoners !"  said  he. 
I  joined  him,  and  the  others  began  to  load  their  mus- 
kets to  shoot  us.  They  were  voltigeurs  from  another 
battalion. 

At  that  moment  Zeb6de  came  up  with  several  men 
from  our  company,  and  without  knowing  how  the 
matter  stood,  he  seized  the  most  brutal  one  by  the 
throat  and  exclaimed,  "  My  name  is  Zebede,  sergeant 
of  the  Sixth  light  infantry.  When  this  affair  is  set- 
tled, we  will  have  a  mutual  explanation." 

Then  they  went  away,  and  Zeb6de  asked : 

"  What  is  all  this,  Joseph  ?" 

I  told  him  we  had  some  prisoners.  He  turned 
pale  with  anger  against  us,  but  when  he  went  into 
the  wood-shed  he  saw  an  old  major,  who  presented 
him  the  guard  of  his  saber  in  silence,  and  another 
soldier,  who  said  in  German,  "  Spare  my  life,  French- 
man ;  don't  take  my  life." 

The  cries  of  the  dying  still  filled  the  court,  and  his 
heart  relenting,  Zebede  said,  "  Very  well,  I  take  you 
prisoners." 

He  went  out  and  shut  the  door.  We  did  not  quit 
the  place  again  until  the  assembly  began  to  beat. 

Then,  when  the  men  were  in  their  ranks,  Zebed6 


308  WATERLOO. 

notified  Captain  Florentin  that  we  hkd  taken  a  majoi 
and  a  soldier  prisoners. 

They  were  brought  out  and  marched  across  the 
court  without  arms,  and  put  in  a  room  with  three  01 
four  others.  These  were  all  that  remained  of  the  two 
battalions  of  Nassau  troops  which  were  intrusted 
with  the  defense  of  Haie-Sainte. 

While  this  had  been  going  on,  two  other  battalions 
from  Nassau,  who  were  coming  to  the  assistance  of 
their  comrades,  had  been  massacred  outside  by  our 
cuirassiers,  so  that  for  the  moment  we  were  victori 
ous  :  we  were  masters  of  the  principal  outpost  of  the 
English  and  could  begin  our  attack  on  their  center, 
cut  their  communication  by  the  highway  with  Brus- 
sels, and  throw  them  into  the  miserable  roads  of  the 
forest  of  Soignes.  We  had  had  a  hard  struggle,  but 
the  principal  part  of  the  battle  had  been  fought. 
We  were  two  hundred  paces  from  the  English  lines, 
well  sheltered  from  their  fire ;  and  I  believe,  without 
boasting,  that  with  the  bayonet  and  well  supported 
by  the  cavalry,  we  could  have  fallen  upon  them,  and 
pierced  their  line.  An  hour  of  good  work  would  have 
finished  the  affair. 

But  while  we  were  all  rejoicing  over  our  success, 
and  the  officers,  soldiers,  drummers,  and  trumpeters 
were  all  in  confusion,  amongst  the  ruins,  thinking 


WATERLOO.  309 

of  nothing  but  stretching  our  legs  and  getting  breath 
the  rumor  suddenly  reached  us  that  the  Prussians 
were  coming,  that  they  were  going  to  fall  on  our 
flank,  and  that  we  were  about  to  have  two  battles, 
one  in  front  and  the  other  on  our  right,  and  that  we 
ran  the  risk  of  being  surrounded  by  a  force  double, 
our  own. 

This  was  terrible  news,  but  several  hot-headed  fel- 
lows exclaimed : 

"  So  much  the  better,  let  the  Prussians  come  !  we 
will  crush  them  all  at  once." 

Those  who  were  cool  saw  at  once  what  a  mistake 
we  had  made  by  not  making  the  most  of  our  vie 
tory  at  Ligny,  and  in  allowing  the  Prussians  quietly 
to  leave  in  the  night  without  being  pursued  by  our 
cavlary,  as  is  always  done. 

We  may  boldly  say  that  this  great  fault  was  the 
cause  of  our  defeat  at  Waterloo.  It  is  true,  the  Em- 
peror sent  Marshal  Grouchy  the  next  day  at  noon, 
with  thirty-two  thousand  men  to  look  after  the 
enemy,  but  then  it  was  quite  too  late.  In  those 
fifteen  hours  they  had  time  to  re-form,  to  communi- 
cate with  the  English,  and  to  act  on  the  defensive. 

The  next  day  after  Ligny,  the  Prussians  still  had 
ninety  thousand  men,  of  whom  thirty  thousand  were 
fresh  troops,  and  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  can- 


310  WATERLOO. 

non.  With  such  an  army  they  could  do  what  they 
pleased ;  thay  could  have  even  fought  a  second  battle 
with  the  Emperor,  but  they  preferred  falling  on  ou 
flank,  while  we  were  engaged  with  the  English  in 
front.  That  is  so  plain  and  clear,  that  I  can  not 
imagine  how  any  one  can  think  the  movement  of  the 
Prussians  surprising.. 

Blucher  had  already  played  us  the  same  trick  at 
Leipzig — and  he  repeated  it  now  in  drawing  Grouchy 
on  to  pursue  him  so  far.  Grouchy  could  not  force 
him  to  return,  and  he  could  not  prevent  him  from 
leaving  thirty  or  forty  thousand  men  to  stop  his 
pursuers,  while  he  pushed  on  to  the  relief  of  Wel- 
lington. 

Our  only  hope  was  that  Grouchy  had  been  ordered 
to  return  and  join  us,  and  that  he  would  come  up  in 
the  rear  of  the  Prussians ;  but  the  Emperor  sent  no 
such  order. 

It  was  not  we,  the  common  soldiers,  as  you  may 
well  think,  who  had  these  ideas;  it  was  the  officers 
and  generals ;  we  knew  nothing  of  it ;  we  were  like 
children,  utterly  unconscious  that  their  hour  is  near. 

But  now  having  told  you  what  I  think,  I  will  give  . 
you  the  history  of  the  rest  of  the  battle  just  as  I  saw 
it  myself,  so  that  each  one  of  you  will  know  as  much 
about  it  as  I  do. 


WATERLOO.  311 


XXI. 

Almost  immediately  after  the  news  of  the  arrival 
of  the  Prussians,  the  assembly  began  to  beat,  the 
soldiers  of  the  different  battalions  formed  their  ranks, 
and  ours,  with  another  from  Quiot's  brigade,  was  left 
to  guard  Haie-Sainte,  and  all  the  others  went  on  to 
join  General  d'Erlon's  corps,  which  had  advanced 
again  into  the  valley,  and  was  endeavoring  to  flank 
the  enemy  on  the  left. 

The  two  battalions  went  to  work  at  once  to  barri- 
cade the  doors  and  the  breaches  in  the  walls  with 
timbers  and  paving  stones,  and  men  were  stationed 
in  ambush  at  all  the  holes  which  the  enemy  had  made 
in  the  wall  on  the  side  toward  the  orchard  and  on 
that  next  the  highw  ay. 

Buche  and  I,  with  the  remainder  of  our  company, 
were  posted  over  a  stable  in  a  corner  of  the  barn, 
about  ten  or  twelve  hundred  oaces  from  Hougou 


312  WATEELOO. 

mont.  I  can  still  see  the  row  of  holes  which  the  Ger- 
mans had  knocked  in  the  wall,  about  as  high  as  a 
man's  head,  in  order  to  defend  the  orchard.  As  we 
went  up  into  this  stable,  we  looked  through  these 
holes,  and  we  could  see  our  line  of  battle,  the  high 
road  to  Brussels  and  Charleroi,  the  little  farms  of 
Belle-Alliance,  Rossomme,  and  Gros-Caillou,  which 
lie  -along  this  road  at  little  distances  from  each 
other ;  the  Old  Guard  which  was  stationed  across 
it,  with  their  shouldered  arms,  and  the  staff  on  a 
little  eminence  at  the  left,  and  farther  away  in  the 
same  direction,  in  the  rear  of  the  ravine  of  Planche- 
nois,  we  could  see  the  white  smoke  rising  continually 
above  the  trees.  This  was  the  attack  of  the  first 
Prussian  corps. 

We  heard  afterward  that  the  Emperor  had  sent 
Lobau  with  ten  thousand  men  to  turn  them  back. 
The  battle  had  begun,  but  the  Old  and  the  Young 
Guard,  the  cuirassiers  of  Milhaud  and  of  Kellerman, 
and  the  chasseurs  of  Lefebvre-Desnoettes ;  in  fact  the 
whole  of  our  magnificent  cavalry  remained  in  posi- 
tion. The  great,  the  real  battle  was  with  the  English. 

What  a  crowd  of  thoughts  must  have  been  sue?- 
gested,  by  that  grand  spectacle  and  that  immense 
plain,  to  the  Emperor,  who  could  see  it  all  mentally 
better  than  we  could  with  our  own  eyes. 


WATERLOO.  313 

We  might  have  staid  there  for  i  ours,  if  C  apta:n 
Florentin  had  not  come  up  suddenly,  and  exclaimed, 
u  What  are  you  doing  here  ?  Are  we  going  to  dispute 
the  passage  with  the  Guard  ?  Come !  hurry !  Knock 
a  hole  in  that  wall  on  the  side  toward  the  enemy !" 

We  picked  up  the  sledges  and  pickaxes  which  tho 
Germans  had  dropped  on  the  floor,  and  made  holes 
through  the  wall  of  the  gable. 

This  did  not  take  fifteen  minutes,  and  then  we 
could  see  the  fight  at  Hougoumont;  the  blazing 
buildings,  the  bursting  of  the  bombs  from  second  to 
second  among  the  ruins,  and  the  Scotch  chasseurs  in 
ambuscade  in  the  road  in  the  rear  of  the  place,  and 
on  our  right  about  two  gunshots  distant,  the  first 
line  of  the  English  artillery,  falling  back  on  their 
center,  and  stationing  their  cannon,  which  our  gun- 
ners had  begun  to  dismount,  higher  up  the  hill. 

But  the  remainder  of  their  line  did  not  change ; 
they  had  squares  of  red  and  squares  of  black  touch- 
ing each  other  at  the  corners  like  the  squares  of  a 
chess-board,  in  the  rear  of  the  deep  road ;  and  in 
attacking  them  we  would  come  under  their  cross-fire. 
Their  artillery  was  in  position  on  the  brow  of  the 
hill,  and  in  the  hollow  on  the  hill-side  toward  Mont- 
Saint-Jean  their  cavalry  was  waiting. 

The  position   of  the  English  seemed  to  me  still 
14 


314  WATERLOO. 

stronger  than  it  was  in  the  morning ;  and  as  we  had 
already  failed  in  our  attack  on  their  left  wing,  and 
the  Prussians  had  fallen  on  our  flank,  the  idea  occur- 
red tome,  for  the  first  time,  that  we  were  not  sure  of 
gaining  the  battle. 

I  imagined  the  horrible  rout  that  would  follow 
in  case  we  lost  the  battle — shut  in  between  two  ar- 
mies, one  in  front  and  the  other  on  our  flank,  and  then 
the  invasion  which  would  follow ;  the  forced  contri- 
butions, the  towns  besieged,  the  return  of  the  emi- 
gres, and  the  reign  of  vengeance. 

I  felt  that  my  apprehension  had  made  me  grow 
pale. 

At  that  moment  the  shouts  of  "  Vine  I  'JEJmpe- 
reur"  broke  from  thousands  of  throats  behind  us. 
Buche,  who  stood  near  me  in  a  corner  of  the  loft, 
shouted  with  all  the  rest  of  his  comrades,  "  Vive 
VEmpereur  /" 

I  leaned  over  his  shoulder  and  saw  all  the  cavalry 
of  our  right  wing ;  the  cuirassiers  of  Milhaud,  the 
lancers  and  the  chasseurs  of  the  Guard,  more  than 
five  thousand  men — advancing  at  a  trot.  They  cross- 
ed the  road  obliquely  and  went  down  into  the  valley 
between  Ilougoumont  and  Haie-Samte.  I  saw  that 
they  were  going  to  attack  the  squares  of  the  English, 
and  that  our  fate  was  to  be  decided. 


WATERLOO.  315 

We  could  hear  the  voices  of  the  English  artillery 
officers,  giving  their  orders,  above  the  tamult  and 
the  innumerable  shouts  of  "  Vive  VJEmpereur" 

It  was  a  terrible  moment  when  our  cuirassiers  cross- 
ed the  valley  ;  it  made  me  think  of  a  torrent  formed 
by  the  melting  snows,  when  millions  of  flakes  of 
snow  and  ice  sparkle  in  the  sunshine.  The  horses, 
with  the  great  blue  portmanteaux  fastened  to  their 
croups,  stretched  their  haunches  like  deer  and  tore 
up  the  earth  with  their  feet,  the  trumpets  blew 
their  savage  blasts  amidst  the  dull  roar  as  they  pass- 
ed into  the  valley,  and  the  first  discharge  of  grape 
and  canister  made  even  our  old  shed  tremble. 

The  wind  blew  from  the  direction  of  Hougoumont, 
and  drove  the  smoke  through  all  the  openings  ;  we 
leaned  out  to  breathe,  and  the  second  and  third 
discharges  followed  each  other  instantly. 

I  could  see  through  the  smoke  that  the  English 
gunners  had  abandoned  their  cannon  and  were  run- 
ning away  with  their  horses,  and  that  our  cuirassiers 
had  immediately  fallen  upon  the  squares,  which  were 
marked  out  on  the  hill-side  by  the  zig-zag  line  of 
their  fire. 

Nothing  could  be  heard  but  a  grand  uproar  of 
cries,  incessant  clashing  of  arms  and  neighing  of 
horses,  varied  with  the  discharge  from  time  to  timo 


316  WA  TERLOO. 

and  then  new  shouts,  new  tumult  and  fresh  groans, 
A  score  of  horses  with  their  manes  erect,  rushed 
thiough  the  thick  smoke  which  settled  around  us 
like  shadows;  some  of  them  dragging?  their  riders 
with  one  foot  caught  in  the  stirrup. 

And  this  lasted  more  than  an  hour. 

After  Milhaud's  cuirassiers,  came  the  lancers  of 
Lefebvre-Desnoettes,  after  them  the  cuirassiers  of  Kel- 
lerman,  followed  by  the  grenadiers  of  the  Guard,  and 
after  the  grenadiers  came  the  dragoons.  They  all 
mounted  the  hill  at  a  trot,  and  rushed  upon  the 
squares  with  drawn  sabers,  shouting,  "  Vive  I  'Mnpe- 
reicr  "  in  tones  which  reached  the  clouds.  At  each 
new  charge  it  seemed  as  if  the  squares  must  be  over- 
thrown ;  but  when  the  trumpets  sounded  the  signal 
for  rallying  and  the  squadrons  rushed  pell-mell  back 
to  the  edge  of  the  plateau  to  re-form,  pursued  by  the 
showers  of  shot,  there  were  the  great  red  lines>  stead- 
fast as  walls,  in  the  smoke. 

Those  Englishmen  are  good  soldiers,  but  then 
they  knew  that  Blucher  was  coming  to  their  assist- 
ance with  sixty  thousand  men,  and  no  doubt  this 
inspired  them  with  great  courage. 

In  spite  of  every  thing,  at  six  o'clock  we  had  de- 
stroyed half  their  squares,  but  the  horses  of  our  cui< 
rassiers  were  exhausted  by  twenty  charges  over  the 


WATERLOO.  317 

ground  soaked  with  rain.  They  could  no  longer 
advance  over  the  heaps  of  dead. 

As  night  approached,  the  great  battle-field  in  our 
rear  began  to  be  deserted ;  at  last  the  great  plain 
where  we  had  encamped  the  night  before  was  ten- 
antless,  only  the  Old  Guard  remained  across  the  road 
with  shouldered  arms,  all  had  gone — on  the  right 
against  the  Prussians,  on  the  left  against  the  Eng- 
lish.    We  looked  at  each  other  in  terror. 

It  was  already  growing  dark,  when  Captain  Floren- 
tin  appeared  at  the  top  of  the  ladder,  and  placing 
both  hands  on  the  floor,  he  said  in  a  grave  voice, 
"Men,  the  time  has  come  to  conquer  or  die  !" 

I  remembered  that  these  words  were  in  the  procla- 
mation of  the  Emperor,  and  we  all  filed  down  the 
ladder.  It  was  still  twilight,  but  all  was  gray  in  the 
devastated  court ;  the  dead  were  lying  stiff  on  the 
dung-heap  and  along  the  walls. 

The  captain  formed  our  men  on  the  right  side  of  the 
court,  and  the  commandant  of  the  other  battalion 
ranged  his  on  the  left ;  our  drums  resounded  through 
the  old  building  for  the  last  time,  and  we  filed  out  of 
the  little  rear  door  into  the  garden,  stooping  one 
after  the  other  as  we  went  through. 

The  walls  of  the  garden  outside  had  been  knocked 
down,  and  all  along  the  rubbish,  men   vrere  binding 


318  WATERLOO. 

up  their  wounds — one  his  head,  another  his  arm  01 
his  leg.  A  cantiniere  with  her  donkey  and  cart,  and 
with  a  great  straw  hat  flattened  on  her  back — was 
there  too  in  a  corner.  I  do  not  know  what  had 
brought  the  wretched  creature  there.  Several  sorry- 
looking  horses  were  standing  there,  exhausted  with 
fatigue,  with  their  heads  hanging  down,  and  covered 
with  blood  and  mud. 

What  a  difference  between  them  now,  and  in  the 
morning.  Then  the  companies  were  half  destroyed, 
but  still  they  were  companies.  Confusion  was  com- 
ing. It  had  taken  only  three  hours  to  reduce  us  to 
the  same  condition  we  were  in  at  Leipzig  at  the  end 
of  a  year.  The  remains  of  the  two  battalions  still 
formed  only  one  line,  in  good  order,  and  I  must  admit 
that  we  began  to  be  anxious. 

When  men  have  tasted  nothing  for  twenty-four 
hours,  and  have  exhausted  all  their  strength  by  fight- 
ing all  day,  the  pangs  of  hunger  seize  them  at  night, 
fear  comes  also,  and  the  most  courageous  lose  hope. 
All  our  great  retreats,  with  their  horrors,  are  trace- 
able to  the  want  of  food. 

For  in  spite  of  every  thing  we  were  not  conquered ; 
the  cuirassiers  still  held  their  position  on  the  plateau, 
and  from  all  sides  over  the  thunder  of  cannon,  over  all 
the  tumult,  the  cry  was  heard,  "  The  Guard  is  com 


WATERLOO.  319 

i.ng!"  Yes,  the  Guard  was  coming  at  last!  We 
could  see  them  in  the  distance  on  the  highway, 
with  their  high  bear-skin  caps,  advancing  in  good 
order. 

Those  who  have  never  witnessed  the  arrival  of  the 
Guard  on  the  battle-field,  can  never  know  the  confi- 
dence which  is  inspired  by  a  body  of  tried  soldiers  ; 
the  kind  of  respect  paid  to  courage  and  force. 

The  soldiers  of  the  Old  Guard  were  nearly  all  old 
peasants,  born  before  the  Republic ;  men  five  feet 
and  six  inches  in  height,  thin  and  well  built,  who  had 
held  the  plow  for  convent  and  chateau ;  afterward 
they  were  levied  with  all  the  rest  of  the  people,  and 
went  to  Germany,  Holland,  Italy,  Egypt,  Poland, 
Spain,  and  Russia,  under  Kleber,  Hoche,  and  Mar- 
ceau  first,  and  under  Napoleon  afterward.  He  took 
special  care  of  them  and  paid  them  liberally.  They 
regarded  themselves  as  the  proprietors  of  an  immense 
farm,  which  they  must  defend  and  enlarge  more  and 
more.  This  gained  them  consideration ;  they  were 
defending  their  own  property.  They  no  longer 
knew  parents,  relatives,  or  compatriots;  they  only 
knew  the  Emperor ;  he  was  their  God.  And  lastly 
they  had  adopted  the  King  of  Rome,  who  was  to  in 
herit  all  with  them,  and  to  support  and  honor  them 
in  their  old  age.     Nothing  like  them  was  ever  seen, 


320  WATERLOO. 

they  were  so  accustomed  to  march,  to  dress  their 
lines,  to  load,  and  fire,  and  cross  bayonets,  that  it  was 
done  mechanically  in  a  measure,  whenever  there  was 
a  necessity.  When  they  advanced,  carrying  arms, 
with  their  great  caps,  their  white  waistcoats  and 
gaiters,  they  all  looked  just  alike ,  you  could  plainly 
see  that  it  was  the  right  arm  of  the  Emperor  which 
was  coming.  When  it  was  said  in  the  ranks,  "  The 
Guard  is  going  to  move,"  it  was  as  if  they  had  said, 
"  The  battle  is  gained." 

But  now,  after  this  terrible  massacre,  after  the 
repulse  of  these  furious  attacks,  on  seeing  the  Prus- 
sians fall  on  our  flank,  we  said,  "  This  is  the  decisive 
blow." 

And  we  thought,  "  If  it  fails,  all  is  lost." 

This  was  why  we  all  looked  at  the  Guard  as  they 
marched  steadily  up  on  the  road. 

It  was  Ney  who  commanded  them,  as  he  had  com- 
manded the  cuirassiers.  The  Emperor  knew  that 
nobody  could  lead  them  like  "Nej,  only  he  should 
have  ordered  them  up  an  hour  sooner,  when  out 
cuirassiers  were  in  the  squares ;  then  we  should  have 
gained  all. 

But  the  Emperor  looked  upon  his  Guard  as  upon 
his  own  flesh  and  blood  ;  if  he  had  had  them  at  Paris 
five  days  later,  Lafayette  and  the  rest  of  them  would 


WATERLOO.  321 

not  Lave  remained  long  in  their  chamber  to  depose 
him,  but  he  had  them  no  longer. 

This  was  why  he  waited  so  long  before  sending 
them;  he  hoped  that  Ney  would  succeed  in  over 
whelming  the  enemy  with  the  cavalry,  or  that  the 
thirty-two  thousand  men  under  Grouchy  would  re- 
turn, attracted  by  the  sound  of  the  cannon,  and  then 
he  could  send  them  in  place  of  his  Guard ;  because 
he  could  always  replace  thirty  or  forty  thousand  by 
conscription ;  but  to  have  another  such  Guard,  he 
must  commence  at  twenty-five  and  gain  fifty  victo- 
ries, and  what  remained  of  the  best,  most  solid,  and 
the  toughest  would  be  the  Guard. 

It  came,  and  we  could  see  it.  N"ey,  old  Friant,  and 
several  other  generals,  marched  in  front.  "We  could 
see  nothing  but  the  Guard — the  roaring  cannon,  the 
musketry,  the  cries  of  the  wounded,  all  were  for- 
gotten. 

But  the  lull  did  not  last  long ;  the  English  per- 
ceived as  well  as  we,  that  this  was  to  be  the  decisive 
blow,  and  hastened  to  rally  all  their  forces  to  re- 
ceive it. 

That  part  of  the  field  at  our  left  was  nearly  desert- 
ed ;  there  was  no  more  firing,  either  because  their 
ammunition  was  exhausted,  or  the  enemy  were  form- 
ing in  a  new  order. 
14* 


322  WATERLOO. 

On  the  right,  on  the  contrary,  the  cannonade  was 
redoubled ;  the  struggle  seemed  to  have  been  trans- 
ferred to  that  side,  but  nobody  dared  to  say,  "  Tho 
Prussians  are  attacking  us  ;  another  army  has  come 
to  crush  us." 

No !  the  very  idea  was  too  horrible ;  when  sud- 
denly a  staff  officer  rushed  past  like  lightning, 
shouting  : 

"  Grouchy,  Marshal  Grouchy  is  coming  I" 

This  was  just  at  the  moment  when  the  four  battal- 
ions of  the  Guard  took  the  left  of  the  highway  in  or- 
der to  go  up  in  the  rear  of  the  orchard,  and  com- 
mence the  attack. 

How  many  times  during  the  last  fifty  years  I  have 
seen  it  over  again  at  night,  and  how  many  times  I 
have  heard  the  story  related  by  others.  In  listening 
to  these  accounts  you  would  think  that  only  the  Guard 
took  part  in  the  attack,  that  it  moved  forward  like 
ranks  of  palisades ;  and  that  it  was  the  Guard  alone 
which  received  the  showers  of  shot. 

But  in  truth  this  terrible  attack  took  place  in  the 
greatest  confusion  ;  our  whole  army  joined  in  it ;  all 
the  remnant  of  the  left  wing  and  center,  all  that  was 
left  of  the  cavalry  exhausted  by  six  hours  of  fighting ; 
every  one  who  could  stand  or  lift  an  arm.  The  in- 
fantry of  Reille  which  concentrated  on  the  left,  we 


WATERLOO.  323 

who   remained  at    Haie-Sainte,  all  who  were  alive 
and  did  not  wish  to  be  massacred. 

And  when  they  say  we  were  in  a  panic  of  terror 
and  tried  to  run  away  like  cowards,  it  is  not  true. 
When  the  news  arrived  that  Grouchy  was  coming, 
even  the  wounded  rose  up  and  took  their  places  in  the 
ranks ;  it  seemed  as  if  a  breath  had  raised  the  dead ; 
and  all  those  poor  fellows  in  the  rear  of  Haie-Sainte 
with  their  bandaged  heads  and  arms  and  legs,  with 
their  clothes  in  tatters  and  soaked  with  blood,  every 
one  who  could  put  one  foot  before  the  other,  joined 
the  Guard  when  it  passed  before  the  breaches  in  the 
wall  of  the  garden,  and  every  one  tore  open  his  last 
cartridge. 

The  attack  sounded,  and  our  cannon  began  again 
to  thunder.  All  was  quiet  on  the  hill-side,  the 
rows  of  English  cannon  were  deserted,  and  we  might 
have  thought  they  were  all  gone,  only  as  the  bear-skin 
caps  of  the  Guard  rose  above  the  plateau,  five  or  six 
volleys  of  shot  warned  us  that  ttey  were  waiting 
for  us. 

Then  we  knew  that  all  those  Englishmen,  Germans, 
Belgians,  and  Hanoverians,  whom  we  had  been  saber 
iug  and  shooting  since  morning,  had  re-formed  in  the 
rear,  and  that  we  must  encounter  them.  Many  of 
the  wounded  retired  at  this  moment,  and  the  Guard, 


324  WATERLOO. 

upon  which  the  heaviest  part  of  the  enemy's  fire  had 
fallen,  advanced  through  the  showers  of  shot  almost 
alone,  sweeping  every  thing  before  it,  but  it  closed 
up  more  and  more,  and  diminished  every  moment, 
[n  twenty  minutes  every  officer  was  dismounted,  and 
the  Guard  halted  before  such  a  terrible  fire  of  mus- 
ketry, that  even  we,  two  hundred  paces  in  the  rear, 
could  not  hear  our  own  guns ;  we  seemed  to  be  only 
exploding  our  priming. 

At  last  the  whole  army,  in  front,  on  the  right  and 
on  the  left,  with  the  cavalry  on  the  flanks,  fell  upon 
us. 

The  four  battalions  of  the  Guard,  reduced  from 
three  thousand  to  twelve  hundred  men,  could  not 
withstand  the  charge,  they  fell  back  slowly,  and  we 
fell  back  also,  defending  ourselves  with  musket  and 
bayonet. 

We  had  seen  other  battles  more  terrible,  but  this 
was  the  last. 

When  we  reached  the  edge  of  the  plateau,  all  the 
plain  below  was  enveloped  in  darkness  and  in  the 
confusion  of  the  defeat.  The  disbanded  troops  were 
flying,  some  on  foot  and  some  on  horseback. 

A  single  battalion  of  the  Guard  in  a  square  near  the 
farm-house,  and  three  other  battalions  farther  on,  with 
another  square  of  the  Guard  at  the  junction  of  the 


WATERLOO.  325 

route  at  Planchenois,  stood  motionless  as  some  firm 
structure  in  the  midst  of  an  inundation  which  sweeps 
away  every  thing  else. 

They  all  went — hussars,  chasseurs,  cuirassiers,  artil- 
lery, and  infantry — pell-mell  along  the  road,  across 
the  fields,  like  an  army  of  savages. 

Along  the  ravine  of  Planchenois  the  dark  sky  was 
lighted  up  by  the  discharges  of  musketry ;  the  one 
square  of  the  Guard  still  held  out  against  Bulow,  and 
prevented  him  from  cutting  off  our  retreat,  but  nearer 
us  the  Prussian  cavalry  poured  down  into  the  valley 
like  a  flood  breaking  over  its  barriers.  Old  Blucher 
had  just  arrived  with  forty  thousand  men :  he  doub- 
led our  right  wing  and  dispersed  it. 

What  can  I  say  more !  It  was  dissolution — we 
were  surrounded.  The  English  pushed  us  into  the 
valley,  and  it  was  through  this  valley  that  Blucher  was 
coming.  The  generals  and  officers  and  even  the 
Emperor  himself  were  compelled  to  take  refuge  in  a 
square,  and  they  say  that  we  poor  wretches  were 
panic-stricken  !     Such  an  injustice  was  never  seen. 

Buche  and  I  with  five  or  six  of  our  comrades  ran 
toward  the  farm-house — the  bombs  were  bursting 
all  around  us,  we  reached  the  road  in  our  wild  flight 
just  as  the  English  cavalry  passed  at  full  gallop, 
shouting,  "  No  quarter !  no  quarter I" 


326  WATERLOO. 

At  this  moment  the  square  of  the  Guard  began  to 
retreat,  firing  from  all  sides  in  order  to  keep  off  the 
wretches  who  sought  safety  within  it.  Only  the  offi- 
cers and  generals  might  save  themselves. 

I  shall  never  forget,  even  if  I  should  live  a  thou- 
sand years,  the  immeasurable,  unceasing  cries  which 
filled  the  valley  for  more  than  a  league ;  and  in  the 
distance  the  grenadi&re  was  sounding  like  an  alarm 
bell  in  the  midst  of  a  conflagration.  But  this  was 
much  more  terrible ;  it  was  the  last  appeal  of  France, 
of  a  proud  and  courageous  nation ;  it  was  the 
voice  of  the  country  saying, "  Help,  my  children ! 
I  perish !" 

This  rolling  of  the  drums  of  the  Old  Guard  in  the 
midst  of  disaster,  had  in  it  something  touching  and 
horrible.  I  sobbed  like  a  child  ; — Buche  hurried  me 
along,  but  I  cried, "  Jean,  leave  me — we  are  lost,  every 
thing  is  lost !" 

The  thought  of  Catherine,  and  Mr.  Goulden,  and 
Pfalzbourg,  did  not  enter  my  mind.  What  astonish- 
es me  to  day  is,  that  we  were  not  massacred  a  hun- 
dred times  on  the  road,  where  files  of  English  and 
Prussians  were  passing.  But  perhaps  they  mistook 
us  for  Germans,  or  they  were  running  after  the  Em- 
peror, for  they  were  all  hoping  to  see  him. 

Opposite  the   little  farm  of  Rossomme,  we  were 


WATERLOO.  327 

obliged  to  turn  off  the  road  to  the  right,  into  the  field , 
it  was  here  that  the  last  square  of  the  Guard  still  held 
out  against  the  attack  of  the  Prussians ;  they  soon 
gave  way,  for  twenty  minutes  afterward  the  enemy 
poured  over  the  road,  and  the  Prussian  chasseurs 
separated  into  bands  to  arrest  all  those  who  straggled 
or  remained  behind.  This  road  was  like  a  bridge  ; 
all  who  did  not  keep  on  it  fell  into  the  abyss. 

At  the  slope  of  the  ravine  in  the  rear  of  the  inn 
"  Passe- Avant,"  some  Prussian  hussars  rushed  upon 
us :  there  were  not  more  than  five  or  six  of  them,  and 
they  called  out  to  us  to  surrender ;  but  if  we  had 
raised  the  butts  of  our  muskets,  they  would  have 
sabered  us.  We  aimed  at  them,  and  seeing  that  we 
were  not  wounded,  they  passed  on. 

This  forced  us  to  return  to  the  road,  where  the  up- 
roar could  be  heard  for  at  least  two  leagues  ;  cavalrv 
infantry,  artillery,  ambulances,  and  baggage-wagons, 
were  creeping  along  the  road  pell-mell,  howling,  beat- 
ing, neighing,  and  weeping.  The  retreat  at  Leipzig 
furnished  no  such  spectacle  as  this. 

The  moon  rose  above  the  wood  behind  Planchenois, 
and  lighted  up  this  crowd  of  shapskas,*  bear-skin  caps, 
helmets,  sabers,  bayonets,  broken  caissons,  and  aban- 
doned cannon;  the  crowd  and  confusion   increased 
*  Polish  military  cap.  , 


328  WATERLOO. 

every  moment,  plaintive  howls  were  heard  from  one 
end  of  the  line  to  the  other,  rolling  up  and  down  the 
hill-side  and  dying  away  in  the  distance  like  a  sigh.i 

But  the  saddest  of  all,  were  the  cries  of  the  women, 
those  unhappy  creatures  who  follow  armies.  When 
they  were  knocked  down  or  crowded  out  on  to  the 
slope  with  their  carts,  their  screams  could  be  heard 
above  all  the  uproar,  but  no  one  turned  his  head,  not 
a  man  stretched  out  a  hand  to  help  them :  "  Every 
one  for  himself! — I  shall  crush  you, — so  much  the 
worse  for  you, — I  am  the  stronger — you  scream,  but 
it  is  all  the  same  to  me ! — take  care, — take  care — I 
am  on  horseback — I  shall  hit  you !  room — let  me 
get  away — the  others  do  just  the  same — room  for  the 
Emperor  !  room  for  the  marshal !"  The  strong  crush 
the  weak — the  only  thing  in  the  world  is  strength ! 
On  !  on !  Let  the  cannons  crush  every  thing,  if  we 
can  only  save  them ! 

But  the  cannon  can  move  no  farther, — unhitch 
them,  cut  the  traces,  and  the  horses  will  carry  us  off. 
Make  them  go  as  fast  as  possible,  and  if  they  break 
down — then  let  them  go?  If  we  were  not  the 
stronger  our  turn  would  come  to  be  crushed — we 
should  cry  out  and  everybody  would  mock  at  our 
complaints.  Save  himself  who  can — and  "  Vivi 
I  'Mnpereur  /" 


WATERLOO.  329 

"  But  the  Emperor  is  dead  !" 

Everybody  thought  the  Emperor  had  died  with 
the  Old  Guard;  that  seemed  perfectly  natural. 

The  Prussian  cavalry  passed  us  in  files  with  drawn 
sabers,  shouting,  "  Hurrah !"  They  seemed  to  be  es- 
corting us,  but  they  sabered  every  one  who  straggled 
from  the  road,  and  took  no  prisoners,  neither  did  they 
attack  the  column ;  a  few  musket-shots  passed  over 
us  from  the  right  and  left. 

Far  in  the  rear  we  could  see  a  red  light :  this  was 
the  farm-house  at  Caillou. 

We  hastened  onward,  borne  down  with  fatigue, 
hunger,  and  despair ;  we  were  ready  to  die,  but  still 
the  hope  of  escape  sustained  us.  Buche  said  to  me  as 
we  went  along,  "  Joseph,  let  us  help  each  other." 

"  I  will  never  abandon  you,"  I  replied.  "  We  will 
die  together.  I  can  hold  out  no  longer,  it  is  too 
terrible, — we  might  better  lie  down  at  once." 

"  No,  let  us  keep  on,"  said  he.  "  The  Prussians 
make  no  prisoners.  Look !  they  kill  without  mercy, 
just  as  we  did  at  Ligny." 

We  kept  on  in  the  same  direction  with  thousands 
of  others,  sullen  and  discouraged,  and  yet  we  would 
turn  round  all  at  once  and  close  our  ranks  and  fire, 
when  a  squadron  of  Prussians  came  too  near.  We 
were  still  firm,  still  the  stronger  from  time  to  time 


330  WATERLOO. 

we  found  abandoned  gun-carriages,  caissons,  and  can 
nous,  and  the  ditches  on  either  side  were  full  of  knap- 
sacks, cartridge-boxes,  guns,  and  sabers,  which  had 
been   thrown    away  by  the  men  to   facilitate  their 
flight. 

But  the  most  terrible  thing  of  all  was  the  great  am- 
bulances in  the  middle  of  the  road  filled  with  the 
wounded.  The  drivers  had  cut  the  traces  and  fled 
with  the  horses  for  fear  of  being  taken  prisoners. 
The  poor  half-dead  wretches,  with  their  arms  hang- 
ing down,  looked  at  us  as  we  passed  with  despairing 
eyes. 

When  I  think  of  all  this  now,  it  reminds  me  of 
the  tufts  of  straw  and  hay  which  lodge  among  the 
bushes  after  an  inundation.  We  say  "  That  is  our 
harvest,  this  is  our  crop,  that  is  what  the  tempest  has 
left  us." 

Ah !  I  have  had  many  such  reflections  during  fifty 
years ! 

What  grieved  me  most  and  made  my  heart  bleed 

in  the  midst  of  this  rout  was  that  I  could  not  discover 

a  single  man  of  our  battalion  besides  ourselves.     I 

said  to  myself,  "They  cannot  all  be  dead;"  and  I 

sa;d  to  Buche : 

"  If  I  could  only  find  Zebede  it  would  give  me 

back  my  courage." 


WATERLOO.  331 

But  he  replied :  "  Let  us  try  to  save  ourselves,  Jo- 
seph. As  for  me,  if  I  ever  see  Harberg  again,  I  will 
not  complain  because  I  have  to  eat  potatoes.  No,  no 
God  has  punished  me.  I  shall  be  contented  to  work 
and  go  into  the  woods  with  my  ax  on  my  shoulder. 
If  only  I  do  not  go  home  maimed,  and  if  I  am  not 
compelled  to  hold  out  my  hand  at  the  road-side  in 
order  to  live,  like  so  many  others.  Let  us  try  to  get 
home  safe  and  sound." 

I  thought  he  showed  great  good  sense. 

At  about  half-past  ten,  as  we  reached  the  environs 
of  Genappe,  terrible  cries  were  heard  in  the  distance. 
Fires  of  straw  had  been  lighted  in  the  middle  of  the 
principal  street  to  give  light  to  the  multitude,  and 
we  could  see  from  where  we  were,  that  the  houses 
were  full  of  people  and  the  streets  so  full  of  horses 
and  baggage  that  they  could  not  move  a  step.  We 
knew  that  the  Prussians  might  come  at  any  moment, 
and  that  they  would  have  cannon ;  and  that  it  would 
be  better  for  us  if  we  went  round  the  village  than  to 
be  taken  prisoners  altogether.  This  was  why  we 
turned  to  the  left  across  the  grain  fields  with  a  great 
many  others.  We  crossed  the  Thy  in  water  up  to 
our  waists,  and  toward  midnight  we  reached  Quatre- 
Bras. 

We  had  done  well  not  to  stop  at  Genappe,  for  we 


332  WATERLOO. 

already  heard  the  roar  of  the  Prussian  cannon  and 
musketry  near  the  village.  Great  numbers  of  fugi- 
tives came  along  the  road,  cuirassiers,  lancers,  and 
chasseurs.      Not  one  of  them  stopped. 

We  began  to  be  terribly  hungry.  We  knew  very 
well  that  every  thing  in  these  houses  must  have  been 
eaten  long  ago,  but  still  we  went  into  the  one  on  the 
left.  The  floor  was  covered  with  straw,  on  which  the 
wounded  were  lying.  We  had  hardly  opened  the 
door  when  they  all  began  to  cry  out  at  once ;  to  tell 
the  truth,  the  stench  was  so  horrible  that  we  left 
immediately  and  took  the  road  to  Charleroi.  The 
moon  shone  beautifully,  and  we  could  see  on  the  right 
amongst  the  grain  a  quantity  of  dead  men,  who  had 
not  yet  been  buried. 

Buche  followed  a  furrow  about  twenty-five  paces, 
to  where  three  or  four  Englishmen  were  lying  one  on 
the  top  of  the  other.  I  asked  him  what  he  was  going 
to  do  amongst  the  dead. 

He  came  back  with  a  tin  bottle,  and  shaking  it 
it  his  ear,  he  said,  "  Joseph,  it  is  full." 

He  dipped  it  in  the  water  of  the  ditch  before  open- 
ing it,  and  then  took  out  the  cork  and  drank,  saying 
"  It  is  brandy !" 

He  passed  it  to  me,  and  I  drank  also.  I  felt  my 
life   returning,   and   I   gave   him   back    the    bottle 


WATERLOO.  333 

half  fill],  thanking  God  for  the  good  idea  that  he  had 
given  us. 

We  looked  on  all  sides  to  see  if  we  could  not  find 
some  bread  in  the  haversacks  of  the  dead,  but  th6 
uproar  increased,  and  as  we  could  not  resist  the  Prus- 
sians if  they  should  surround  us,  we  set  off  again  full 
of  strength  and  courage.  The  brandy  made  us  look 
at  every  thing  on  the  bright  side  already,  and  I  said 

to  Buche : 
"  Jean,  now  the    worst    is    over    and    we    shall 

see  Pfalzbourg  and  Harberg  again.  "We  are  on  a 
good  road  which  will  take  us  back  to  France. 
If  we  had  gained  the  battle,  we  should  have 
been  forced  to  go  still  farther  into  Germany,  and 
we  should  have  been  obliged  to  fight  the  Aus- 
trians  and  the  Russians,  and  if  we  had  had  the  good 
fortune  to  escape  with  our  lives,  we  should  have  re- 
turned old  gray-haired  veterans,  and  should  have 
been  compelled  to  keep  garrison  at  c  Petite  Pierre,' 
or  somewhere  else." 

These  miserable  thoughts  ran  through  my  head, 
but  I  marched  on  with  more  courage  ,and  Buche  said : 

"The  English  are  right  in  having  their  bottles 
made  of  tin,  for  if  I  had  not  seen  this  shining  in  the 
moonlight,  I  should  never  have  thought  of  goii  g  tc 
look  for  it." 


334  WATERLOO. 

Every  moment  while  we  were  talking  in  this  way 
men  were  riding  by,  their  horses  almost    ready  tc 
drop,  but  by  beating  and  spurring,  they  Kept  them 
trotting  just  the  same. 

The  noise  of  the  retreating  army  began  to  reach 
our  ears  again  in  the  distance,  but  fortunately  we  had 
the  advance. 

It  might  have  been  about  one  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  we  thought  ourselves  safe,  when  suddenly 
Buche  said  to  me : 

"  Joseph,  here  are  the  Prussians !" 

And  looking  behind  us,  I  saw  in  the  moonlight 
five  bronzed  hussars  from  the  same  regiment  as 
those  who,  the  year  before,  had  cut  poor  Klipfel  to 
pieces.     I  thought  this  was  a  bad  sign. 

"  Is  your  gun  loaded  ?"  I  asked  Buche. 

"Yes." 

"  Well !  let  us  wait,  we  must  defend  ourselves,  I 
will  not  surrender." 

"  Nor  I  either,"  said  he,  "  I  had  rather  die  than  tc 
be  taken  prisoner." 

At  the  same  moment  the  Prussian  officer  shouted 
arrogantly,  "  Lay  down  your  arms." 

Instead  of  waiting,  as  I  did,  Buche  discharged  the 
contents  of  his  musket  full  in  the  officer's  breast. 
Then  the  other  four  fell  upon  us.     Buche  received  a 


WATERLOO.  335 

blow  from  a  saber  which  cut  his  shako  down  to  the 
visor,  but  with  one  thrust  with  his  bayonet  he  killed 
his  antagonist.  Three  of  them  still  remained.  My 
musket  was  loaded.  Buche  planted  himself  with  his 
back  against  a  nut-tree,  and  every  time  the  Prussians, 
who  had  fallen  back,  approached  us,  I  took  aim. 
Neither  of  them  wanted  to  be  the  first  to  die  !  As 
we  waited,  Buche  with  his  bayonet  fixed  and  I  with 
my  musket  at  my  shoulder,  we  heard  a  galloping 
on  the  road.  This  frightened  us,  for  we  thought  more 
Prussians  were  coming,  but  they  were  our  lancers. 
The  hussars  then  turned  off  into  the  grain,  and 
Buche  hastened  to  re-load  his  gun. 

Our  lancers  passed  and  we  followed  them  on  the 
run. 

An  officer  who  joined  us,  said  that  the  Emperor 
had  set  out  for  Paris,  and  that  King  Jerome  had  just 
taken  command  of  the  army. 

Buche's  scalp  was  laid  completely  open,  but  the 
bone  was  not  injured,  and  the  blood  ran  down  his 
cheeks.  He  bound  up  his  head  with  his  handker- 
chief. 

After  that  we  saw  no  more  Prussians. 
About  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we  were  so 
weary  we  could  hardly  take  another  step.     About 
two  hundred  paces  to  the  left  of  the  road  there  was 


336  WATERLOO. 

a  little  beech  grove.  Buche  said :  "  Look,  Joseph,  let 
us  go  in  there  and  lie  down  and  sleep." 

It  was  just  what  I  wanted. 

We  went  down  across  the  oat-field  to  the  wood, 
and  entered  a  close  thicket  of  young  trees. 

We  had  both  kept  our  guns  and  knapsacks  and 
cartridge-boxes.  We  laid  our  knapsacks  on  the  ground 
for  a  pillow,  and  it  had  long  been  broad  daylight, 
and  the  retreating  crowd  had  been  passing  for  hours, 
when  we  awoke  and  quietly  pursued  our  journey. 


WATERLOO.  337 


XXII. 

J^umbees  of  our  comrades  and  of  tne  wounded 
remained  behind  at  Gosselies,  but  the  larger  part  of 
the  army  kept  on  their  way,  and  about  nine  o'clock 
we  began  to  see  the  spires  of  Charleroi  in  the  dis- 
tance, when  suddenly  we  heard  shouts,  cries,  com- 
plaints, and  shots  intermingled,  half  a  league  be- 
fore us. 

The  whole  immense  column  of  miserable  wretches 
halted,  shouting:  "  The  city  closes  its  doors  against 
us  !  we  are  stopped  here  !" 

Consternation  and  despair  were  stamped  on  every 
face. 

But  a  moment  after,  the  news  came  that  the  con- 
voys of  provisions  were  coming  and  that  they  would 
Dot  distribute  them. 

"  Let  us  fall  upon  them !     Kill  the  rascals  who  are 

starving  us !     We  are  betrayed  I" 
It 


$38  WATERLOO. 

The  most  fearful  and  the  most  exhausted  quickened 
their  pace,  and  drew  their  sabers  or  loaded  their 
muskets. 

It  was  plain  that  there  would  be  a  veritable  butch- 
ery if  the  guards  did  not  give  way.  Buche  himself 
shouted : 

"  They  ought  all  to  be  murdered,  we  are  betrayed. 
Come,  Joseph,  let  us  bo  revenged." 

But  I  held  him  back  by  the  collar  and  exclaimed : 

"  No,  Jean,  no  !  We  have  had  murders  enough  al- 
ready, and  we  have  escaped  all,  and  we  do  not  want 
to  be  killed  here  by  Frenchmen.  Come !" 

He  struggled  still,  but  at  last  I  showed  him  a  vil- 
lage on  the  left  of  the  road  and  said : 

"Look!  there  is  the  road  to  Harberg,  and  there 
are  houses  like  those  at  Quatre  Yents ;  let  us  go  there 
and  ask  for  bread ;  I  have  money,  and  we  shall  cer- 
tainly find  some.  That  will  be  better  than  to  attack 
the  convoys  like  a  pack  of  wolves." 

He  allowed  himself  to  be  persuaded  at  last,  and 
we  set  off  once  more  through  the  grain.  If  hunger 
had  not  urged  us  on,  we  should  have  sat  down  on  the 
side  of  the  path  at  every  step.  But  at  the  end  of 
half  an  hour,  thanks  to  God,  we  reached  a  sort  of 
farm-house ;  it  was  abandoned,  with  the  windows 
broken  out,  and  the  door  wide  open,  and  great  heap* 


WATERLOO.  339 

of  black  earth  lying  about.  We  went  in  and  shouted; 
"  Is  there  no  one  here  ?" 

We  knocked  against  the  furniture  with  the  butts 
of  our  muskets,  but  not  a  soul  answered.     Our  fury 
increased,  because  we  saw  several  wretches,  follow 
ing  the  route  by  which  we  had  come,  and  we  thought, 
"  They  are  coming  to  eat  up  our  bread." 

Ah !  those  who  have  never  suffered  these  priva- 
tions can  not  comprehend  the  fury  which  possessed 
us.     It  was  horrible — horrible ! 

We  had  already  broken  open  the  door  of  a  cup 
board  filled  with  linen,  and  were  turning  over  every 
thing  with  our  bayonets,  when  an  old  woman  came 
out  from  behind  a  table,  which  hid  the  passage  to 
the  cellar.     She  sobbed  and  exclaimed: 

"  My  God,  my  God  !  have  mercy  upon  us." 

The  house  had  been  pillaged  early  in  the  morn- 
ing ;  they  had  taken  away  the  horsey  the  master  had 
disappeared  and  the  servants  had  fled. 

In  spite  of  our  fury  the  sight  of  the  poor  old 
woman  made  us  ashamed  of  ourselves,  and  I  said  to 
her: 

"  Do  not  be  afraid,  we  are  not  monsters,  only  give 
us  some  bread,  we  are  starving." 

She  was  sitting  on  an  old  chair  with  her  withered 
hands  crossed  over  her  knee,  and  she  said : 


340  WATERLOO 

"  I  no  longer  have  any,  they  have  taken  all.  My 
God!  all!  all!" 

Her  gray  hair  was  hanging  down  over  her  face  i 
and  I  felt  like  weeping  for  her  and  for  ourselves 
"  Well !"  I  said,  "  we  must  look  for  ourselves,  Buche.' 
We  went  into  all  the  rooms  and  the  stables,  there  was 
nothing  to  be  seen, -every  thing  had  been  stolen  and 
broken. 

I  was  going  out,  when  in  the  shadow  behind  the 
old  door,  I  saw  something  whitish  against  the  wall. 
I  stopped,  and  stretched  out  my  hand.  It  was  a 
linen  bag  with  a  strap.  I  took  it  down,  trembling  in 
my  hurry.  Buche  looked  at  me — the  bag  was  heavy 
■ — I  opened  it,  there  were  two  great  black  radishes, 
half  of  a  small  loaf  of  bread,  dry  and  hard  as  stone, 
a  large  pair  of  shears  for  trimming  hedges,  and  quite 
in  the  bottom  some  onions  and  some  gray  salt  in  a 
paper. 

On  seeing  these  we  made  an  exclamation  of  joy, 
but  the  fear  of  seeing  the  others  come  in,  made  us 
run  out  in  the  rear,  far  into  the  rye-field,  skulking 
and  hiding  like  thieves. 

We  had  regained  all  our  strength,  and  we  went 
and  sat  down  on  the  edge  of  a  little  brook.  Buche 
said : 

"  Look  here  !  T  must  have  my  part." 


WATERLOO.  341 

u  Yes, — half  of  all,"  I  replied.  "  You  let  iLe  drink 
from  your  bottle,  I  will  divide  with  you." 

Then  he  was  calm  again.  I  cut  the  bread  in  two 
with  my  saber  and  said :  "  Choose,  Jean ;  that  is  your 
radish,  and  there  are  half  the  onions,  and  we  will 
share  the  salt  between  us."  We  ate  the  bread  with- 
out soaking  it  in  the  water,  we  ate  our  radishes,  our 
onions  and  the  salt.  We  should  have  kept  on  eating 
still,  if  we  had  had  more  to  eat,  but  yet  we  were 
satisfied. 

We  knelt  down  with  our  hands  in  the  water  and 
we  drank. 

"  Now  let  us  go,"  said  Buche,  "  and  leave  the  bag." 

In  spite  of  our  weary  legs,  which  were  ready  to 
give  out,  we  went  on  again  toward  the  left ;  while  on 
the  right  behind  us,  toward  Charleroi,  the  shouts  and 
shots  redoubled,  and  all  along  the  road  we  could  see 
nothing  but  the  men  fighting,  but  they  were  already 
far  away. 

We  looked  back  from  time  to  time,  and  Buche 
said : 

"  Joseph,  you  did  well  to  bring  me  away,  had  it 
not  been  for  you,  I  might  have  been  stretched  out 
over  there  by  the  road-side,  killed  by  a  Frenchman, 
l  was  too  hungry.     But  where  shall  we  go  now  ?" 

I  answered,  "  Follow  me !" 


342  WATERLOO. 

We  passed  through  a  large  and  beautiful  village 
pillaged  and  abandoned  also. 

Farther  on  we  met  some  peasants,  who  scowled  a 
us  from  the  road-side.    We  must  have  had  ill-looking 
faces,  especially  Buche  with  his  head  bound  up,  and 
his  beard  eight  days  old,  thick  and  hard  as  the  bris- 
tles of  a  boar. 

About  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  recrossed 
the  Sambre,  by  the  bridge  of  Chatelet,  but  as  the 
Prussians  were  still  in  pursuit  we  did  not  halt  there. 
I  was  quite  at  ease,  thinking : 

"If  they  are  still  pursuing  us,  they  will  follow 
the  bulk  of  the  army,  in  order  to  take  more  pris- 
oners and  pick  up  the  cannon,  caissons,  and  bag- 
gage. 

This  was  the  manner  in  which  we  were  compelled 
to  reason,  we,  who  three  days  before  had  made  the 
world  tremble. 

I  recollect  that  when  we  reached  a  small  village 
about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  we  stopped  at  a 
blacksmith's  shop  to  ask  for  water.  The  country 
people  immediately  began  to  gather  round,  and  the 
smith,  a  large,  dark  man,  asked  us  to  go  to  the  little 
inn,  opposite,  saying  he  would  join  us  and  take  a 
glass  of  beer  with  us. 

Naturally  enough  this    pleased  us,  for  we  were 


WATERLOO.  343 

afraid  of  being  arrested,  and  we  saw  that  these 
people  were  on  our  side. 

I  remembered  that  I  had  some  money  in  my  knap- 
sack, and  that  now  it  would  be  useful. 

We  went  into  the  inn,  which  was  only  a  little  shop, 
with  two  small  windows  on  the  street,  and  a  round 
door  opening  in  the  middle,  as  is  common  in  our 
country  villages. 

When  we  were  seated  the  room  was  so  full  of  men 
and  women,  who  had  come  to  hear  the  news,  that  we 
could  hardly  breathe. 

The  smith  came.  He  had  taken  off  his  leather 
apron  and  put  on  a  little  blue  blouse,  and  we  saw  at 
once  that  he  had  five  or  six  men  with  him.  They 
were  the  mayor  and  his  assistant,  and  the  municipal 
councilors  of  the  place. 

They  sat  down  on  the  benches  opposite,  and  or- 
dered the  favorite  sour  beer  of  the  country  for  us  to 
drink.  Buche  asked  for  some  bread ;  the  innkeeper's 
wife  brought  us  a  whole  loaf  and  a  large  piece  of  beei 
in  a  porringer. 

All  urged  us  to  "Eat,  eat!"  When  one  or  an- 
other would  ask  us  a  question  about  the  battle,  the 
smith  or  ihe  mayor  would  say : 

"  Let  the  men  finish,  you  can  see  plainly  that  they 
have  come  a  long  way." 


344.  WATERLOO. 

And  it  was  only  when  we  had  finished  eating,  that 
they  questioned  us,  asking  if  it  was  true  that  the 
French  had  lost  a  great  battle.  The  first  report  was 
that  we  were  the  victors,  but  afterward  they  heard 
a  rumor  that  we  were  defeated. 

We  understood  that  they  were  speaking  of  Ligny, 
and  that  their  ideas  were  confused.  I  was  ashamed 
to  tell  that  we  were  overthrown  ;  I  looked  at  Buche, 
and  he  said : 

"  We  have  been  betrayed.  The  traitors  revealed 
our  plans.  The  army  was  full  of  traitors,  who  cried, 
*  Sauve  qui  peut !'  How  was  it  possible  for  us  not 
to  lose,  under  such  circumstances." 

It  was  the  first  time  I  had  heard  treason  spoken  of; 
some  of  the  wounded,  it  is  true,  had  said,  "  We  are 
betrayed,"  but  I  had  paid  no  attention  to  their  words, 
and  when  Buche  relieved  us  from  our  embarrassment 
by  this  means,  I  was  glad  of  it,  though  I  was  aston- 
ished. The  people  sympathized  with  us  in  our  indig- 
nation against  the  traitors. 

Then  we  were  obliged  to  explain  the  battle  and 
the  treason.  Buche  said  the  Prussians  had  fallen 
upon  us  through  the  treason  of  Mars1  al  Grouchy.       { 

This  seemed  to  me  to  be  going  too  far,  but  the 
peasants  in  their  pity  for  us  had  made  us  drink  again 
and  again,  and  had   given    us    pipen  and   tobacco 


WATERLOO.  345 

and  at  last  I  said  the  same  as  Buehe.  It  was  not 
till  after  we  had  left  the  place  that  the  recollection 
of  our  shameful  falsehoods  made  me  ashamed  of 
myself,  and  I  said  to  Buche : 

"  Do  you  know,  Jean,  that  our  lies  about  the  trai- 
tors were  not  right?  If  every  one  tells  as  many,  we 
shall  all  be  traitors,  and  the  Emperor  will  be  the 
only  true  man  amongst  us.  It  is  a  disgrace  to  the 
country  to  say  that  we  have  so  many  traitors ;  it  is 
not  true." 

"  Bah !  bah  !"  said  he.  "  We  have  been  betrayed  ; 
if  we  had  not,  the  English  and  Prussians  could  never 
have  forced  us  to  retreat." 

We  did  nothing  but  dispute  this  point  till  eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening.     By  this  time  we  had  reach 
ed  a  village  called  Bouvigny. 

We  were  so  tired  that  our  legs  were  as  stiff  as 
stakes,  and  for  a  long  while  we  had  needed  a  great 
deal  of  courage  to  take  a  single  step. 

We  were  certain  that  the  Prussians  were  no  longer 
near,  and  as  I  had  money  we  went  into  an  inr  and 
asked  for  a  bed. 

I  took  out  a  six-franc  piece  in  order  to  let  them 
see  that  we  could  pay.     I  had  resolved  to  change 
my  uniform  the  next  day,  to  leave  my  gun  and  knap- 
sack and  cartridge-box  here  and  to  go  hone,  for  T 
16* 


346  WATERLOO. 

believed  that  the  war  was  over,  and  I  rejoiced  in  the 
midst  of  my  misfortunes  that  I  had  escaped  with  my 
arms  and  legs.  , 

Buche  and  I  slept  that  night  in  a  little  room,  with 
a  Holy  Virgin  and  infant  Jesus  in  a  niche  between 
the  curtains  over  our  heads,  and  we  rested  like  the 
blessed  in  heaven-. 

The  next  morning,  instead  of  keeping  on  our 
way,  we  were  so  glad  to  sit  on  a  comfortable  chair 
in  the  kitchen,  to  stretch  our  legs  and  smoke  our 
pipes  as  we  watched  the  kettles  boiling,  that  we  said, 
"  Let  us  stay  quietly  here.  To-morrow  we  shall  be 
well  rested,  and  we  will  buy  two  pairs  of  linen  pan- 
taloons, and  two  blouses,  we  will  cut  two  good  sticks 
from  a  hedge,  and  go  home  by  easy  stages." 

The  thought  of  these  pleasant  plans  touched  us. 
And  it  was  from  this  inn  that  I  wrote  to  Catherine 
and  Aunt  Gredel  and  Mr.  Goulden.  I  wrote  only  a 
word: 

"I  have  escaped,  let  us  thank  God,  I  am  coming,  I  embrace 

you  a  thousand  times  with  all  my  heart. 

"Joseph  Bertha." 

I  thanked  God  as  I  wrote,  but  a  great  many  things 
were  to  happen  before  I  should  mount  our  staircase 
at  the  corner  of  the  rue  Fouquet  opposite  the  "  Red 
Ox."     When  one  has  been  taken  by  conscription  he 


WATERLOO,  347 

must  not  be  in  a  hurry  to  write  that  he  is  released. 
That  happiness  does  not  depend  upon  us,  and  the  best 
will  in  the  world  helps  nothing. 

I  sent  off  my  letter  by  the  post,  and  we  staid  all 
hat  day  at  the  inn  of  the  "  Golden  Sheep. ,r 

After  we  had  eaten  a  good  supper,  we  went  up 
to  our  beds,  and  I  said  to  Buche,  "  Ha  !  Jean,  to  do 
what  you  please  is  quite  a  different  thing  from  being 
forced  to  respond  to  the  roll-call." 

We  both  laughed  in  spite  of  the  misfortunes  of  the 
country,  of  course  without  thinking,  otherwise  we 
should  have  been  veritable  rascals. 

For  the  second  time  we  went  to  sleep  in  our  good 
bed,  when  about  one  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  were 
wakened  in  a  most  extraordinary  manner :  the  drums 
were  beating  and  we  heard  men  marching  all  over 
the  village. 

I  pushed  Jean,  and  he  said,  "  I  hear  it,  the  Prus 
eians  are  outside." 

You  can  not  imagine  our  terror,  but  it  was  much 
worse  a  moment  after ;  some  one  knocked  at  the  door 
of  the  inn,  and  it  opened  ;  in  a  moment  the  great  hall 
was  fuil  of  people.  Some  one  came  up  the  stairs 
We  had  both  got  up,  and  Buche  said,  "I  shall 
defend  myself  if  they  try  to  take  me." 

I  dared  not  think  what  T  was  going  to  d:>. 


848  WATERLOO. 

We  were  almost  dressed,  and  I  was  hoping  to 
escape  in  the  darkness  without  being  recognized, 
when  suddenly  there  was  a  knock  at  the  door  and  a 
shout,  "  Open." 

We  were  obliged  to  open  it. 

An  infantry  officer,  wet  through  by  the  rain,  with 
his  great  blue  cloak  thrown  over  his  epaulettes,  fol- 
lowed by  an  old  sergeant  with  a  lantern,  came  in. 

We  recognized  them  as  Frenchmen,  and  the  officer 
asked  brusquely,  "  Where  do  you  come  from  ?" 

"  From  Mont-St.-Jean,  lieutenant,"  I  replied. 

"  From  what  regiment  are  you  ?" 

"  From  the  Sixth  light  infantry,"  I  answered. 

He  looked  at  the  number  on  my  shako,  which  was 
lying  on  the  table,  and  at  the  same  time  I  saw 
that  his  number  was  also  the  Sixth. 

"  From  which  battalion  are  you  ?"  said  he,  knit- 
ting his  brows. 

"  The  third." 

Buche,  pale  as  ashes,  did  not  say  a  word.  The 
officer  looked  at  our  guns  and  knapsacks  and  car- 
tridge-boxes behind  the  bed  in  the  corner. 

"  You  have  deserted,"  said  he. 

"No,  lieutenant,  we  left,  the  last  ones,  at  eight 
o'clock,  from  Mont-St-Jean." 

"  Go  down-stairs,  we  will  see  if  that  is  true." 


WATERLOO.  349 

We  went  down-stairs.  The  officer  followed  us, 
and  the  sergeant  went  before  with  his  lantern. 

The  great  hall  below  was  full  of  officers  of  the  12th 
mounted  chasseurs,  and  of  the  6th  light  infantry 
The  commandant  of  the  4th  battalion  of  the  Gth 
was  promenading  up  and  down,  smoking  a  little 
wooden  pipe.  They  were  all  of  them  wet  through 
and  covered  with  mud. 

The  officer  said  a  few  words  to  the  commandant 
who  stopped,  and  fixed  his  black  eyes  upon  us, 
while  his  crooked  nose  turned  down  into  his  gray 
mustache. 

His  manner  was  not  very  gentle  as  he  asked  us 
half  a  dozen  questions  about  our  departure  from 
Ligny,  the  road  to  Quatre-Bras,  and  the  battle.  He 
winked  and  compressed  his  lips.  The  others  walked 
uj3  and  down  dragging  their  sabers  without  listening 
to  us.  At  last  the  commandant  said,  "  Sergeant,  these 
men  will  join  the  second  company  ;  go  !  " 

He  took  his  pipe  again  from  the  edge  of  the  mantel, 
and  we  went  out  with  the  sergeant,  happy  enough 
to  get  off  so  easily,  for  they  might  have  shot  us  as 
deserters  before  the  enemy. 

We  followed  the  sergeant  for  two  hundred  paces 
to  the  other  end  of  the  village  to  a  shed.  Fires  had 
been  lighted   farther   on   in   the  fields;  men   were 


350  WATERLOO. 

sleeping  under  the  shed,  leaning  against  the  doors  of 
the  stables,  and  the  posts. 

A  fine  rain  was  falling  and  the  puddles  quivered  in 
the  gray  uncertain  moonlight.  We  stood  up  under 
a  part  of  the  roof  at  the.  corner  of  the  old  house 
thinking  of  our  troubles. 

At  the  end  of  an* hour,  the  drums  began  to  beat 
with  a  dull  sound ;  the  men  shook  the  straw  from 
their  clothes  and  we  resumed  our  march.  It  was 
still  dark — but  we  could  hear  the  chasseurs  sounding 
their  signal  to  mount,  behind  us. 

Between  three  and  four  in  the  morning,  at  dawn, 
we  saw  a  great  many  other  regiments,  cavalry, 
infantry,  and  artillery,  on  the  march  like  ourselves 
by  different  roads,  all  the  corps  of  Marshal  Grouchy 
in  retreat !  The  wet  weather,  the  leaden  sky,  the 
long  files  of  weary  men,  the  disappointment  of  being 
retaken,  and  the  thought  that  so  many  efforts  and 
so  much  bloodshed  had  only  terminated  a  second 
time  in  an  invasion,  all  this  made  us  hang  down  our 
heads. 

Nothing  was  heard  but  the  sound  of  our  own  foot- 
steps in  the  mud. 

I  could  not  shake  off  my  sadness  for  a  long  time, 
when  a  voice  near  me  said : 

"  Good  morning,  Joseph." 


WATERLOO.  351 

I  was  awakened,  and  looking  at  the  man  who  spoke 
to  me,  I  recognized  the  son  of  Martin  the  tanner,  our 
neighbor  at  Pfalzbourg ;  he  was  corporal  of  the  Sixth, 
and  the  file-closer,  marching  with  arms  at  will.  We 
shook  hands.  It  was  a  real  consolation  for  me  to  see 
some  one  from  our  own  place. 

In  spite  of  the  rain  which  continued  to  fall  and 
our  great  fatigue,  we  could  talk  of  nothing  but 
this  terrible  campaign. 

I  related  the  story  of  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  and 
he  told  me  that  the  4th  battalion  on  leaving  Fleurus 
had  taken  the  route  toward  Wavre  with  the  whole 
of  Grouchy's  corps,  and  that  in  the  afternoon  of  the 
next  day,  the  18th,  they  heard  the  cannon  on  their 
left  and  that  they  all  wanted  to  go  in  that  direction, 
even  the  generals,  but  the  marshal  having  received 
positive  orders,  had  continued  on  the  route  to 
Wavre.  It  was  between  six  and  seven  o'clock, 
before  they  were  convinced  that  the  Prussians  had 
escaped ;  then  they  changed  their  course  to  the  left 
in  order  to  rejoin  the  Emperor,  but  unfortunately,  it 
was  too  late,  and  toward  midnight  they  were 
obliged  to  take  a  position  in  the  fields.  \ 

Each  battalion  formed  in  a  square.  At  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning  the  cannon  of  the  Prussians 
had  awakened  the  bivouacs,  and  thev  had  skirmished 


352  WATERLOO. 

until  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  order  to 
retreat  reached  them. 

Again,  Martin  said  they  were  too  late,  for  a  part 
of  the  enemy's  force  which  had  been  engaged  with 
that  of  the  Emperor,  was  in  their  rear,  and  they  were 
obliged  to  march  all  the  rest  of  that  day  and  the 
night  following  in  order  to  escape  from  their 
pursuers. 

At  six  o'clock  the  battalion  had  taken  a  position 
near  the  village  of  Temploux,  and  at  ten  the  Prus- 
sians came  up  in  superior  force.  They  opposed  them 
in  the  most  vigorous  manner  in  order  to  give  the 
baggage  and  artillery  time  to  get  over  the  bridge  at 
ISFamur. 

Fortunately  the  whole  army  corps  had  escaped 
from  the  village  except  the  4th  battalion  which, 
through  a  mistake  of  the  commandant,  had  turned 
off  the  road  at  the  left,  and  was  obliged  to  throw 
itself  into  the  Sambre  in  order  to  escape  being  cut 
off.  Some  of  the  men  were  taken  prisoners  and  some 
were  drowned  in  trying  to  swim  across  the  river. 

This  was  all  that  Martin  told  me  ;  he  had  no  news 
from  home. 

That  same  day  we  passed  through  Givet;  the  bat- 
talion bivouacked  near  the  village  of  Hierches  half  a 
league  farther  on.     The  next  day  we  passed  through 


WATERLOO.  353 

Fumay  and  Rocroy,  and  slept  at  Bourg-Fideles,  the 
23d  of  June  at  Blombay,  the  24th  at  Saulsse-Lenoy 
— where  we  heard  of  the  abdication  of  the  Emperor — 
and  the  days  following  at  Vitry,  near  Rheims,  at 
Jonchery,  and  at  Soissons.  From  there  the  battalion 
took  the  route  toward  Ville-Cotterets,  but  the  enemy 
was  already  before  us,  and  we  changed  our  course  to 
Ferte-Milon,  and  bivouacked  at  Neuchelles,  a  village 
destroyed  by  the  invasion  of  1814,  and  which  had 
not  yet  been  rebuilt.  We  left  that  place  on  the  29th, 
about  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  passing  through 
Meaux. 

Here  we  were  obliged  to  take  the  road  to  Lagny, 
because  the  Prussians  occupied  that  which  led  to 
Claye.  We  marched  all  that  day  and  the  night 
following. 

On  the  30th,  at  five  in  the  morning,  we  were  at  the 
bridge  of  Saint-Maur. 

The  same  day  we  passed  outside  of  Paris  and 
bivouacked  in  a  place  rich  in  every  thing,  called 
Vaugirard. 

The  first  of  July  we  reached  Meudon,  a  superb 
place.  We  could  see  by  the  walled  gardens  and 
orchards,  and  by  the  size  and  good  condition 
of  the  houses,  that  we  were  in  the  suburbs  of  the 
most  beautiful  city  in  the  world,  and  yet  we  were  in 


354  WATERLOO. 

the  midst  of  the  greatest  danger  and  suffering,  and 
our  hearts  bled  in  consequence. 

The  people  were  kind  and  friendly  to  the  soldiers, 
and  called  us  the  defenders  of  the  country,  and  even 
the  poorest  were  willing  to  go  to  battle  with  us. 

We  left  our  position  at  eleven  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing of  the  1st  of  July,  and  went  to  St.  Cloud,  which 
is  nothing  but  palace  upon  palace,  and  garden  upon 
garden,  with  great  trees,  and  magnificent  alleys,  and 
every  thing  that  is  beautiful.  At  six  o'clock  we 
quitted  St.  Cloud  to  go  back  to  our  position  at 
Vaugirard. 

The  most  startling  rumors  filled  the  city.  The 
Emperor  had  gone  to  Rochefort— they  said ;  the  King 
was  coming  back — Louis  the  XVIII.  was  en  route — ■ 
and  so  forth. 

They  knew  nothing  certain  in  the  city,  where  they 
should  soonest  know  every  thing. 

The  enemy  attacked  us  in  the  suburbs  of  Issy 
about  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  we  fought 
till  midnight  for  our  capital. 

The  people  aided  as  much  as  possible ;  they  carrk-d 
off  the  wounded  from  under  the  enemy's  fire  ;  even 
the  women  took  pity  on  us. 

What  we  suffered  from  being  driven  to  this,  I  can 
not  describe.     1   have  seen  Bnche  himself  cry    be- 


WATERLOO.  355 

cause  we  were  in  one  sense  dishonored.  I  wished  1 
had  never  seen  that  time.  Twelve  days  before  I  did 
not  know  that  France  was  so  beautiful.  But  on 
seeing  Paris  with  its  towers  and  its  innumerable  pal- 
aces extending  as  far  as  the  horizon,  I  thought,  "This 
is  France,  these  are  the  treasures  that  our  fathers 
have  amassed  during  century  after  century.  "What 
a  misfortune  that  the  English  and  Prussians  should 
ever  come  here. 

At  four  in  the  morning  we  attacked  the  Prussians 

rith  new  fury,  and  retook  the  positions  we  had  lost 

ihe  day  before.     Then  it  was  that  some  generals  came 

and  announced  a  suspension  of  hostilities.     This  took 

place  on  the  3d  of  July,  1815. 

We  thought  that  this  suspension  was  to  give  no- 
tice to  the  enemy,  that  if  he  did  not  quit  our  country, 
France  would  rise  as  one  man,  and  crush  them  all  as 
she  did  in  '92.  These  were  our  opinions,  and  seeing 
that  the  people  were  on  our  side,  I  remembered  the 
general  levies  which  Mr.  Goulden  was  always  talk- 
ing about. 

But  unhappily  a  great  many  were  so  tired  of  Napo- 
leon and  his  soldiers,  that  they  sacrificed  the  country 
itself,  in  order  to  be  rid  of  him.  They  laid  all  the 
blame  on  the  Emperor,  and  said,  if  it  had  not  been 
tor  him,  our  enemies  would  never  have  had  the  force 


356  WATERLOO. 

or  the  courage  to  attack  us,  that  he  had  exhausted 
our  resources,  arid  that  the  Prussians  themselves 
would  give  us  more  liberty  than  he  had  done. 

The  people  talked  like  Mr.  Goulden,  but  they  had 
neither  guns  nor  cartridges,  their  only  weapons  were 
pikes. 

On  the  4th,  while  we  were  thinking  of  these  things, 
they  announced  to  us  the  armistice,  by  which  the 
Prussians  and  English  were  to  occupy  the  barriers  of 
Paris,  and  the  French  army  was  to  retire  beyond  the 
Loire. 

When  we  heard  this,  our  indignation  was  so  great 
that  we  were  furious.  Some  of  the  soldiers  broke 
their  guns,  and  others  tore  off  their  uniforms,  and 
everybody  exclaimed,  "We  are  betrayed,  we  are 
given  up."  The  old  officers  were  quiet,  but  they 
were  pale  as  death,  and  the  tears  ran  down  their 
cheeks. 

Nobody  could  pacify  us,  we  had  fallen  below  con- 
tempt, we  were  a  conquered  people. 

For  thousands  of  years  it  would  be  said,  that  Paris 
had  been  taken  by  the  Prussians  and  the  English.  It 
was  an  everlasting  disgrace,  but  the  shame  did  not 
rest  on  us. 

The  battalion  left  Vaugirard  at  five  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  to  go  to  Montrouge.     When  we  saw  thai 


WATERLOO.  357 

the  movement  toward  the  Loire  had  commenced,  each 
one  said,  "  What  are  we  then  ?  Are  we  subjects  to 
the  Prussians  ?  because  they  want  to  see  us  on  the 
">ther  side  of  the  Loire,  are  we  forced  to  gratify  them  ? 
,N"o,  no  !  that  can  not  be.  Since  they  have  betrayed 
us,  let  us  go  !  All  this  is  none  of  our  concern  any 
longer.  We  have  done  our  duty,  but  we  will  not 
obey  Blucher !" 

The  desertion  commenced  that  very  night ;  all  the 
soldiers  went,  some  to  the  right  and  some  to  the  left; 
men  in  blouses  and  poor  old  women  tried  to  take  us 
with  them  through  the  wilderness  of  streets,  and  en- 
deavored to  console  us,  but  we  did  not  need  conso- 
lation. I  said  to  Buche :  "  Let  us  leave  the  whole 
thing,  and  return  to  Pfalzbourg  and  Harberg,  let 
us  go  back  to  our  trades  and  live  like  honest  people. 
If  the  Austrians  and  Russians  come  there,  the 
mountaineers  and  villagers  will  know  how  to  defend 
themselves.  We  shall  need  no  great  battles  to  de- 
stroy thousands  of  them,  let  us  go  !" 

There  were  fifteen  of  us  from  Lorraine  in  the  bat- 
talion, and  we  all  left  Montrouge,  where  the  head- 
quarters were,  together;  we  passed  through  Ivry 
and  Bercy,  both  places  of  great  beauty  but  our 
trouble  prevented  us  from  seeing  a  quarter  of  what 
we  should  have  done.     Some  kept  their  uniforms, 


358  WATERLOO. 

while  others  had  only  their  cloaks,  and  the  rest  had 
bought  blouses. 

We  found  the  road  to  Strasbourg  at  last,  in  the 
rear  of  St.  Mande,  near  a  wood  to  the  left  of  which 
we  could  see  some  high  towers,  which  they  told  us 
was  the  fortress  of  Vincennes. 

From  this  place,  we  regularly  made  our  twelve 
leagues  a  day. 

On  the  8th  of  July  we  learned  that  Louis  XVIIL 
was  to  be  restored,  and  that  Monseigneur  le  Comte 
d'Artois  would  secure  his  salvation.  All  the  wagon" 
and  boats  and  diligences  already  carried  the  white 
flag,  and  they  were  singing  "  Te  Deums"  in  all  the 
villages  through  which  we  passed  ;  the  mayors  and 
their  assistants  and  the  councilors  all  praised  and 
glorified  God  for  the  return  of  "  Louis  the  well-be- 
loved." 

The  scoundrels  called  us  "  Bonapartists,"  as  they 
saw  us  pass,  and  even  set  their  dogs  on  us. 

But  I  dp  not  like  to  speak  of  them ;  such  people 
are  the  disgrace  of  the  human  race. 

We  replied  only  by  contemptuous  glances,  which 
made  them  still  more  insolent  and  furious. 

Some  of  them  flourished  their  sticks,  as  much  as  to 
say, — "If  we  had  you  in  a  corner,  you  would  be  as 
meek  as  lambs." 


WATERLOO.  359 

The  gendarmes  upheld  these  Pinacles  and  we  were 
arrested  in  three  or  four  places.  They  demanded 
our  papers  and  took  us  before  the  mayor,  and  the  ras 
cals  forced  us  to  shout  "  Vive  le  Roil" 

It  was  shameful,  and  the  old  soldiers  rather  than 
do  it  allowed  themselves  to  be  taken  to  prison. 
Buche  wanted  to  follow  their  example,  but  I  said  to 
him,  "  What  harm  will  it  do  us  to  shout  Vive  Jean 
Claude,  or  Vive  Jean  Nicholas  ?  All  these  kings  and 
emperors,  old  and  new,  would  not  give  a  hair  of  their 
heads  to  save  our  lives,  and  shall  we  go  and  break 
our  necks  in  order  to  shout  one  thing  rather  than  an- 
other ?  No,  it  does  not  concern  us,  and  if  people  will 
be  so  stupid,  as  long  as  we  are  not  the  strongest,  we 
must  satisfy  them.  By  and  by,  they  will  shout  some- 
thing else,  and  afterward  still  something  else.  Every 
thing  changes — nothing  but  good  sense  and  good 
will  remain." 

Buche  did  not  want  to  understand  this  reasoning, 
but  when  the  gendarmes  came,  he  submitted  not- 
withstanding. 

As  we  went  along,  one  after  another  of  our  little 
party  would  drop  off  in  his  own  village,  till  at  lapfi 
no  one  was  left  but  Toul,  Buche,  and  I. 

We  saw  the  saddest  sight  of  all,  and  this  was  the 
crowds  of  Germans  and  Russians  in  Lorraine  and 


360  WATERLOO. 

Alsace.  They  were  drilling  at  Luneville,  at  Blamont, 
and  at  Sarrebourg,  with  oak  branches  in  their  wretch- 
ed shakos.  What  vexation  to  see  such  savages  liv- 
ing  in  luxury  at  the  expense  of  our  peasants. 

Father  Goulden  was  right  when  he  said  that  milL 
tary  glory  costs  very  dear.  I  only  hope  the  Lord 
will  save  us  from  iA  for  a^es  to  come ! 

At  last,  on  the  16th  July,  1815,  about  eleven  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  we  reached  Mittelbronn,  the  last  vil- 
lage on  that  side,  before  reaching  Pfalzbourg.  The 
siege  was  raised  after  the  armistice,  and  the  whole 
country  was  full  of  Cossacks,  Landwehr,*  and  Kai- 
serliks.f  Their  batteries  were  still  in  position  around 
the  town,  though  they  no  longer  discharged  them  ; 
the  gates  were  open,  and  the  people  went  out  and  in 
to  secure  their  crops. 

There  was  great  need  of  the  wheat  and  rye,  and 
you  can  imagine  the  suffering  it  caused  us,  to  feed  so 
many  thousands  of  useless  beings,  who  denied  them 
selves  nothing,  and  who  wanted  bacon  and  schnapps 
every  day. 

Before  every  door  and  at  every  window  there  was 
nothing  to  be  seen  but  their  flat  noses,  their  long 
filthy  yellow  beards,  their  white  coats  filled  with 
vermin,  and  their  low  shakos,  looking  out  at  you,  aa 

*  German  rrilitiamen.  f  German  imperial  troops. 


WATERLOO.  361 

they  smoked  their  pipes  in  idleness  and  drunkenness. 
We  were  obliged  to  work  for  them,  and  at  last  hon 
est  people  were  compelled  to  give  them  two  thousand 
millions  of  francs  more  to  induce  them  to  go  away. 

How  many  things  I  might  say  against  these  lazy- 
hones  from  Russia  and  Germany,  if  we  had  not  done 
ten  times  worse  in  their  country.  You  can  each  one 
make  reflections  for  yourself,  and  imagine  the  rest. 

At  Heitz's  inn  I  said  to  Buche,  "  Let's  stop  here. 
My  legs  are  giving  out." 

Mother  Heitz,  who  was  then  still  a  young  woman, 
threw  up  her  hands  and  exclaimed,  "  My  God !  there 
is  Joseph  Bertha  !  God  in  heaven !  what  a  surprise 
for  the  town  !" 

I  went  in,  sat  down  and  leaned  my  head  on  a 
table  and  wept  without  restraint. 

Mother  Heitz  ran  down  to  the  cellar  to  bringj  a 
bottle  of  wine,  and  I  heard  Buche  sobbing  in  the  cor- 
ner. Neither  of  us  could  speak  for  thinking  of  the 
joy  of  our  friends.  The  sight  of  our  own  country 
had  upset  us,  and  we  rejoiced  to  think  that  our 
bones  would  one  day  rest  peacefully  in  the  village 
cemetery.  Meanwhile  we  were  going  to  embrace 
those  we  loved  best  in  the  world. 

When  we  had  recovered  a  little,  I  said  to  Buche:- 

"Jean,  you  mist  go  on  before  me,  so  that  my  wife 
16 


362  WATERLOO. 

and  Mr.  Goulden  may  not  be  too  much  surprised 
You  will  tell  them  that  you  saw  me  the  day 
after  the  battle,  and  that  I  was  not  wounded,  and 
then  you  must  say,  you  met  me  again  in  the  suburbs 
of  Paris,  and  even  on  the  way  home,  and  at  last,  that 
you  think  I  am  not  far  behind,  that  I  am  coming — • 
you  understand."    * 

"  Yes,  I  understand,"  said  he,  getting  up  after  hav- 
ing emptied  his  glass,  "  and  I  will  do  the  same  thing 
for  grandmother,  who  loves  me  more  than  she  does 
the  other  boys ;  I  will  send  some  one  on  before  me." 

He  went  out  at  once,  and  I  waited  a  few  minutes  ; 
Mother  Heitz  talked  to  me  but  I  did  not  listen ;  I  was 
thinking  how  far  Buche  had  gone ;  I  saw  him  near 
the  ford,  at  the  outworks,  and  at  the  gate.  Sudden- 
ly I  went  out,  saying  to  Mother  Heitz,  "  I  will  pay 
you  another  time." 

I  began  to  run;  I  partly  remember  having  met 
three  or  four  persons,  who  said,  "  Ah !  that  is  Joseph 
Bertha !"     But  I  am  not  sure  of  that. 

All  at  once,  without  knowing  how,  I  sprang  up  the 
btairs,  and  then  I  heard  a  great  cry — Catherine  was 
in  my  arms. 

My  head  swam — in  a  minute  after  I  seemed  to 
come  out  of  a  dre,«  m ;  I  saw  the  room,  Mr.  Goul- 
den, Jean  Buche,  and  Catherine ;  and  I  began  to  sob 


WATERLOO.  363 

bo  violently,  that  you  would  have  tnought  some 
[jreat  misfortune  had  happened.  I  held  Catherine  on 
my  knee  and  kissed  her,  and  she  cried  too.  After  a 
'ong  while  I  exclaimed : 

"  Ah  !  Mr.  Goulden,  pardon  me  !  I  ought  to  have 
embraced  you,  my  father !  whom  I  love  as  I  do 
myself!" 

"I  know  it,  Joseph,"  said  he  with  emotion,  "I 
know  it,  I  am  not  jealous."  And  he  wiped  his  eyes. 
"  Yes — yes^ — love — and  family  and  then  friends.  It 
is  quite  natural,  my  child,  do  not  trouble  yourself 
*ibout  that." 

I  got  up  and  pressed  him  to  my  heart. 

The  first  word  Catherine  said  to  me  was,  "Joseph, 
I  knew  you  would  come  back,  I  had  put  my  trust  in 
God !  Now  our  worst  troubles  are  over,  and  we  shall 
always  remain  together." 

She  was  still  sitting  on  my  knee  with  her  arm  on 
my  shoulder,  I  looked  at  her,  she  dropped  her  eyes 
and  was  very  pale.  That  which  we  had  hoped  for 
before  my  departure  had  come. 

We  were  happy. 

Mr.  Goulden  smiled  as  he  sat  at  his  w(  rkbench— 
Jean  stood  up  near  the  door  and  said : 

"Now  I  am  going,  Joseph,  to  Harberg.     Fathe?  - 
and  grandmother  are  waiting  for  me." 


364  WATERLOO. 

"Stay,  Joan,  you  will  dine  with  us;iJ  Mr.  Gouldec. 
and  Catherine  urged  him  also,  but  he  would  not  wait. 
F  embraced  him  on  the  stairs  and  felt  that  I  loved 
him  like  a  brother. 

He  came  often  after  that,  but  never  once  for  thirty 
years  without  stopping  with  me.  Now  he  lies  be- 
hind the  church  at  JHommert.  He  was  a  brave  man 
and  had  a  good  heart. 

But  what  am  I  thinking  of?  I  must  finish  my 
story,  and  I  have  not  said  a  word  of  Aunt  Gredel, 
who  came  an  hour  afterward.  Ah  !  she  threw  up 
her  hands,  and  she  embraced  me,  exclaiming : 

"  Joseph !  Joseph !  you  have  then  escaped  every 
thing !  let  them  come  now  to  take  you  again ! 
let  them  come  !  oh  !  how  I  repented  of  letting  you 
go  away  !  how  I  cursed  the  conscription  and  all  the 
rest !  but  here  you  are  !  how  good  it  is  !  the  Lord 
has  had  mercy  upon  us  I" 

Yes,  all  these  old  stories  bring  the  tears  to  my 
eyes,  when  I  think  of  them ;  it  is  like  a  long 
forgotten  dream,  and  yet  it  is  real.  These  joys 
and  sorrows  that  we  recall,  attach  us  to  earth,  and 
though  we  are  old  and  our  strength  is  gone  and 
our  sight  is  dim,  and  we  are  only  the  shadows  of 
ourselves ;  yet  we  are  nevei  ready  to  go,  we  never 
say,  "It  is  enough  !" 


WATERLOO.  365 

These  old  memories  are  always  fresh;  when  we 
speak  of  past  dangers  we  seem  to  be  in  the  midst  of 
them  again ;  when  we  recall  our  old  friends,  we  again 
press  their  hands  in  imagination,  and  our  beloved  is 
again  seated  on  our  knee,  and  we  look  in  her  face, 
thinking,  "  She  is  beautiful !"  and  that  which  seemed 
to  us  just  and  wise  and  right  in  those  old  days,  seems 
right  and  wise  and  just  still. 

I  remember — and  I  must  here  finish  my  long 
story — that  for  many  months  and  even  years  there 
was  great  sorrow  in  many  families,  and  nobody 
dared  to  speak  openly,  or  wish  for  the  glory  of  the 
country. 

Zebede  came  back  with  those  who  had  been  dis- 
banded on  the  other  side  of  the  Loire,  but  even  he 
had  lost  his  courage.  This  came  from  the  vengeance 
and  the  condemnations  and  shootings,  massacres  and 
revenge  of  every  kind  which  followed  our  humilia- 
tion ;  from  the  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  Germans, 
English,  and  Russians,  who  garrisoned  our  for- 
tresses, from  the  indemnities  of  war,  from  the 
thousands  of  emigres,  from  the  forced  contribu- 
tions, and  especially  from  the  laws  against  suspects, 
and  against  sacrilege,  and  the  rights  of  primogeni- 
ture which  they  wished  to  be  re-establish. 

All  these  things  so  contrary  to  reason  and  to  the 


360  WATERLOO. 

honor  of  the  nation,  together  with  the  denunciations 
of  the  Pinacles  and  the  outrages  that  the  old  revolu- 
tionists were  made  to  suffer — altogether  these  things 
have  made  us  melancholy,  so  that  often  when  we 
were  alone  with  Catherine  and  the  little  Joseph, 
whom  God  had  sent  to  console  us  for  so  many  mis- 
fortunes, Mr.  Goulden  would  say,  pensively : 

"  Joseph,  our  unhappy  country  has  fallen  very  low. 
When  Napoleon  took  France  she  was  the  greatest, 
the  freest,  and  most  powerful  of  nations,  all  the  world 
admired  and  envied  us,  but  to-day  we  are  conquered, 
ruined,  our  fortresses  are  filled  with  our  enemies,  who 
have  their  feet  on  our  necks ;  and  what  was  never  be- 
fore seen  since  France  existed,  strangers  are  masters 
of  our  capital — twice  we  have  seen  this  in  two  years. 
See  what  it  costs  to  put  liberty,  fortune,  and  honor 
in  the  hands  of  an  ambitious  man.  We  are  in  a  very 
sad  condition,  the  great  Revolution  is  believed  to  be 
dead,  and  the  Rights  of  Man  are  annihilated.  But 
we  must  not  be  discouraged,  all  this  will  pass  away, 
those. who  oppose  liberty  and  justice  will  be  driven 
away,  and  those  who  wish  to  re-establish  privileges 
and  titles  will  be  regarded  as  fools.  The  great  na- 
tion is  reposing,  is  reflecting  upon  her  faults,  is  ob« 
serving  those  who  are  leading  her  contrary  to  her 
own  interests :  she  reads  their  hearts,  and  in  spite  of 


WATERLOO.  367 

the  Swiss,  in  spite  of  the  royal  guard,  in  spite  of  the 
Holy  Alliance,  when  once  she  is  weary  of  her  suffer- 
ings she  will  cast  them  out  some  day  or  other.  Then 
it  will  be  finished,  for  France  wants  liberty,  equality, 
and  justice. 

"The  one  thing  which  we  lack  is  instruction, 
though  the  people  are  instructing  themselves  every 
day,  they  profit  by  our  experiences,  by  our  mis- 
fortunes. 

"I  shall  not  have  the  happiness,  perhaps,  of  see- 
ing the  awakening  of  the  country,  I  am  too  old  to 
hope  for  it,  but  you  will  see  it,  and  the  sight  will 
console  you  for  all  your  sufferings ;  you  will  be 
proud  to  belong  to  that  generous  nation  which 
has  outstripped  all  others  since  '89;  these  slight 
checks  are  only  moments  of  repose  on  a  long 
journey." 

This  excellent  man  preserved  to  his  last  hour  his 
calm  confidence. 

I  have  lived  to  see  the  accomplishment  of  his  pre 
dictions,  I  have  seen  the  return  of  the  banner  of  lib 
erty,  I  have  seen  the  nation  grow  in  wealth,  in  pros- 
perity, and  in  education.  I  have  seen  those  who  ob- 
structed justice  and  who  wished  to  establish  the  old 
regime,  compelled  to  leave,  I  have  seen  that  mind 
always  progresses,  and  that  even  the  peasants   are 


368  WATERLOO. 

willing  to  part  with  their  last  sou  for  the  good  of 
their  children. 

Unfortunately  we  have  not  enough  schoolmasters 
If  we  had  fewer  soldiers  and  more  teachers  the  work 
would  go  on  much  faster.     But — patience — that  will 
come. 

The  people  begin  to  understand  their  rights,  they 
know  that  war  brings  them  nothing  but  increased 
contributions,  and  when  they  shall  say,  "  Instead  of 
sending  our  sons  to  perish  by  thousands  under  the 
saber  and  cannon,  we  prefer  that  they  should  be 
taught  to  be  men ;"  who  will  dare  to  oppose  them  ? 
To-day  the  people  are  sovereign ! 

In  this  hope,  my  friends,  I  embrace  you  with  my 
whole  heart,  and  bid  you,  Adieu ! 


wWiMSamRtnBm 

■■m 

WsWam 

PllilHHR 

■liWiffl 


